SOUTHERN  BRANCH, 

IJNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,, 

LIBRARY, 

iLOS  ANGELES,  CALIF. 


The  Children's  Reading 


-y 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/childrensreadingOOolcoiala 


r**" 


THE  CHILDREN'S 
READING 

BY 

Frances  Jenkins  Olcott 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON   MIFFLIN  COMPANY 

(tl)e  Biber^itie  ^tt0  Cambridge 


COPYRIGHT,   191 3«   BY   FRANCKS  JKNKINS  OLCOTT 
ALL  RIGHTS  RBSBRVBO 

PubUsktd  Novembtr  tqtt 


GRATEFULLY    DEDICATED 

TO 

F.  O.  AND  J.  E.  O. 


Note  to  the  tlEADER 

THE  aim  of  this  book  is  to  meet  in  a 
simple  and  practical  way  the  following 
questions  often  asked  by  parents :  — 

Of  what  value  are  books  in  the  educa- 
tion of  my  children  *? 

What  is  the  effect  of  bad  reading  ? 

How  may  I  interest  my  children  in  home- 
reading? 

What  kind  of  books  do  children  like  *? 

What  books  shall  I  give  my  growing  boy 
and  girl? 

Where  and  how  may  I  procure  books? 

These  questions  are  answered  in  fourteen 
chapters,  each  followed  by  a  descriptive  list 
of  books  helpful  to  parents  and  to  child- 
study  clubs,  or  suitable  for  the  children's  own 
reading.  All  juvenile  books  recommended 
are  selected  by  standards  based  on  Christian 
ethics,  practical  psychology,  and  the  literary 
values  of  generally  accepted  good  books. 
Instructions  are  given  for  procuring  books 


viii  Note  to  the  Reader 

by  purchase  or  from  public  libraries.  Special 
suggestions  are  made  for  parents  living  in 
the  country. 

To  make  the  information  in  the  book  of 
practical  use,  suggestions  are  given  as  to  vi'ays 
and  means  of  interesting  children  in  home- 
reading,  and  developing  their  literary  tastes 
gradually  and  pleasantly — for,  as  the  great- 
est of  our  English  poets  says:  "No  profit 
grows  where  is  no  pleasure  ta'en." 


Contents 

I.  The  Influence  of  Good  Books        .     i 

II.  Some  Modern  Conditions  and  the 

Effects  of  Bad  Books     .         .11 

^III.  Children's  Interests  .         .         .19 

N  IV.  Ways  of  Guiding  Reading  .         .     29 

\J^'  Picture  Books  and  Illustrators     40 

VI.  Easy  Reading      .         .         .         -5^ 

VII.  Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     68 

VIII.  Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances      .     99 

IX.  Poetry  and  Rhymes     .         .         .129 

X.  Some  Classics  and  Standards       .  146 , 

XI.  Fiction  of  To-day       .         .         .168 

XII.  History,  Biography,  and  Travel  198 

XIII.  Useful  Books       ....  223 

XIV.  Religious  Books  ....  252 


X  Contents 

Appendix 

One  Hundred  Good  Stories  to  tell 

AND  where  to  find  THEM     .  .    275 

How   to   procure    Books   through 
THE  Public  Library   .         .         .  284 

How  to  procure  Children's  Books 
BY   Purchase       ....  299 

Purchase  List  of  Children's  Books  302 

Index     .......  339 


t 

s 


A  TABLE  C 

AND  NOTABLE   PERSONS 


This  table  cannot  show  to  full  extent  the  number  of  famoi 
often  state  merely  that  such  and  such  a  man  was  a  voracious 
Most  of  the  books  listed  here  were  read  before  the  readers  we 
biographies  have  been  compared  so  that  the  material  presen 


THE  BIBLE 

Queen  Elizabeth 
Daniel  Webster 
Harriet  B.  Stowe 
John  G.  Whittier 


FAERIE  OUEENE 

Lowell 
Milton 
Hawthorne 
Keats 


ARABIAN  NIGHTS 

Alexandre  Dumas 
Sir  Henry  Layard 
Leigh  Hunt 
Tolstoy 


FAIRY  TALES 

Charles  Lamb 
Sir  Walter  Scott 
Robert  Burns 
Coleridge 


DON  QUIXOTE 

Longfellow 
Dickens       ' 
Aldrich 
Emerson 


GULLIVER'S  TRAVELS 

Hugh  Miller 
Lucy  Larcom 
Walter  Besant 


S4«44MM«4iMfcAi»«««ll««4l««««««4««««ilifc«««««««4« 


'  CLASSICS 

NFLUENCED   BY  THEM 

eople  influenced  by  the  books  which  are  listed.   Biographies  S 

ider  in  his  youth,  devouring  every  book  that  came  to  hand,  j 

ixteen  years  old,  and  many  before  they  were  twelve.   Many  * 

here  is  collected  from  different  sources.  <*/, 


DYSSEY 

Henry  M.  Stanley 
Hugh  Miller 

RUSKIN 

Wagner 


ROBINSON  CRUSOE 

Macaulay 
Washington  Irving 
Coleridge 
Alexandre  Dumas 


[LGRIM'S  PROGRESS 

RuFus  Choate 
SrR  Humphry  Davy 
Benjamin  Franklin 
Charles  Lamb 


SCOTT'S  NOVELS  AND 
POEMS 

Bayard  Taylor 
Hawthorne 
Lowell 
Stedman 


.UTARCH 

Napoleon 

Alexander  Hamilton 
Madame  de  Maintenon 
Madame  Roland 


SHAKESPEARE 

Daniel  Webster 
Lincoln 
Darwin 
Emerson 


««««««.««4l««««««««««««««««««4^«4^^««i!««««««S 


THE   CHILDREN'S 
READING 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  INFLUENCE  OF  GOOD  BOOKS 

"  Sir,  he  hath  never  fed  of  the  dainties  that  are  bred  in  a 
book ;  he  hath  not  eat  paper,  as  it  <were;  he  hath  not  drunk 
ink:  his  intellect  is  not  replenished.^''  — Shakespeare. 

THE  guiding  of  the^hildren's  reading  is 
of  great  importance  because  it  is  fund- 
amental. It  strikes  at  the  roots  of  many 
weedy  growths  that  weaken  and  hamper  the 
healthy  development  of  character.  For  even 
as  when  desiring  a  beautiful  garden,  we  pre- 
pare the  soil  and  plant  the  selected  seeds,  and 
pluck  out  the  weeds ;  so  should  we  carefully 
prepare  the  children's  minds,  root  out  the 
tares,  and  fill  their  imaginations  with  the 
noble  thoughts  and  ideals  of  those  great 
books  which  will  help  the  developing  men 
or  women  to  resist  ignoble  and  corroding' 
influences.  .  . 


2  The  Children's  Reading 

As  it  is  satisfying  to  have  tangible  reasons 
for  the  faith  that  is  in  us,  let  us  glance  for  a 
moment  at  some  of  the  evidence  of  the  Past 
which  proves  the  importance  of  early  train- 
ing of  children  and  the  power  of  good  books 
to  mould  character  and  shape  events.  We 
shall  arise  from  such  examination  with  re- 
newed earnestness  and  a  desire  —  bom  of 
conviction,  not  sentiment — to  pass  along  the 
joys  and  helps  of  literature  to  all  children  for 
whom  we  are  responsible. 

"  You  know  also  that  the  beginning  is  the 
chiefest  part  of  any  work,"  says  Plato,  "  es- 
pecially in  a  young  and  tender  thing ;  for 
that  is  the  time  at  which  the  character  is 
formed  and  most  readily  receives  the  desired 
impression."  "  Childhood  is  a  tender  thing," 
testifies  Plutarch,  "and  easily  wrought  into 
any  shape.  Yea,  and  the  very  souls  of  child- 
ren readily  receive  the  impressions  of  those 
things  that  are  dropped  into  them  while  they 
are  yet  but  soft ;  but  when  they  grow  older, 
they  will,  as  all  hard  things  are,  be  more  diffi- 
cult to  be  wrought  upon.  And  as  soft  wax  is 
apt  to  take  the  stamp  of  the  seal,  so  are  the 


The  Influence  of  Good  Books      3 

minds  of  children  to  receive  the  instructions 
imprinted  on  them  at  that  age." 

Not  only  Plato  and  Plutarch,  but  modern 
educators  agree  that  "  the  child  is  father  of 
the  man,"  and  that  to  train  children  in  the 
.  way  they  should  go  insures  that  they  will 
not  depart  therefrom.  For  childhood  is  with- 
out question  the  impressionable  period,  the 
time  for  educating  the  imagination  to  normal 
action,  for  instilling  good  habits,  for  teaching 
the  distinctions  between  right  and  wrong,  and 
for  laying  the  foundation  of  the  spiritual 
life.  All  unconscious  are  the  children  of 
this  process  of  imbibing  ideas  and  sugges- 
tions to  be  recalled  and  used  automatically 
when  they  come  to  years  of  judgment.  This 
storing  process  cannot  be  more  surely  accom- 
plished than  by  arousing  the  children's  inter- 
est in  good  books.  To  this  bears  witness 
much  proof  of  the  Past  and  Present. 

As  we  read  the  life  of  many  a  great  man  or 
woman  we  find  convincing  proof  of  the  power 
of  books  read  in  the  home.  Often  the  awaken- 
ing of  feelings  and  emotions,  and  sometimes 
of  strong  purposes  governing  after  life,  are 


4  The  Children's  Reading 

traceable  to  books  read  in  childhood,  or  to 
the  promptings  of  book-loving  parents. 

These  points  are  best  illustrated  by  a  few 
examples  of  the  influence  of  one  great  au- 
thor —  Plutarch —  of  whom  Emerson  says: 
"His  grand  perceptions  of  duty  led  him  to 
his  stem  delight  in  heroism ;  a  stoic  resist- 
ance to  low  indulgence;  to  a  fight  with  for- 
tune ;  a  regard  for  truth ;  his  love  of  Sparta, 
and  of  heroes  like  Aristides,  Phocion,  and 
Cato.  He  insists  that  the  highest  good  is  in 
action.  .  .  .  His  delight  in  magnanimity 
and  self-sacrifice  has  made  his  books,  like 
Homer's  Iliad,  a  bible  for  heroes." 

Many  are  the  evidences  of  Plutarch's  in- 
fluence. A  few  will  do  here  for  illustration. 
"You  could  not  have  sent  me  anything 
which  could  be  more  agreeable,"  King 
Henry  the  Fourth  wrote  to  his  wife,  Marie 
de'  Medici,  "  than  the  news  of  the  pleasure 
you  have  taken  in  this  reading.  Plutarch 
always  delights  me  with  a  fresh  novelty.  To 
love  him  is  to  love  me ;  for  he  has  been  long 
time  the  instructor  of  my  youth.  My  good 
mother,  to  whom  I  owe  all,  and  who  would 


The  Influence  of  Good  Books      5 

not  wish,  she  said,  to  see  her  son  an  illus- 
trious dunce,  put  this  book  into  my  hands 
almost  when  I  was  a  child  at  the  breast.  It 
has  been  like  my  conscience,  and  has  whis- 
pered in  my  ear  many  good  suggestions  and 
maxims  for  my  conduct,  and  the  government 
of  my  affairs." 

We  find  Madame  Roland  carrying  Plu- 
tarch to  church  with  her  instead  of  a  prayer- 
book  —  that  was  when  she  was  nine  years 
old.  "From  that  period," -she  writes,  "I  may 
date  the  first  impressions  and  ideas  that  ren- 
dered me  a  republican."  So  it  was  Madame 
Roland's  childhood  reading  that  laid  the 
foundations  for  her  political  views  which  led 
to  her  martyrdom  in  the  cause  of  liberty. 
The  same  author  exerted  a  strong  influence 
over  the  young  Napoleon,  who  read  with 
avidity  history,  especially  of  ancient  repub- 
lics. The  "  Commentaries  "  of  Caesar  was 
also  one  of  his  favorite  books. 

In  like  manner  we  may  trace  the  effect 
of  countless  other  books  —  from  the  Holy 
Bible,  that  has  moved  nations  and  wrought 
miracles  in  the  souls  of  men,  to  the  writings 


6  The  Children's  Reading 

of  poets,  sages,  historians,  and  novelists  that 
have  helped  to  mould  character  and  shape 
events. 

Masson  writes  that  there  are  evidences  that 
Milton's  eariiest  reading  had  ranged  far 
beyond  the  day's  theological  works  and  "it 
is  with  his  early  readings  of  Du  Bartas, 
Spenser,  and  other  poets,  that  we  are  bound, 
by  the  concord  of  time,  to  connect  his  own 
first  efforts  in  English  verse.  According  to  Au- 
brey he  had  been  a  poet  from  the  age  often." 

"The  first  two  books  I  ever  read  in  pri- 
vate," writes  Burns  in  a  delightfully  reminis- 
cent letter  to  his  friend  Dr.  Moore,  "and 
which  gave  me  more  pleasure  than  any  two 
books  I  ever  read  again,  were  *  The  Life  of 
Hannibal,'  and  *  The  History  of  Sir  William 
Wallace.'  Hannibal  gave  my  young  ideas 
such  a  turn  that  I  used  to  strut  in  raptures 
up  and  down  after  the  recruiting-drum  and 
bagpipe,  and  wish  myself  tall  enough  that  I 
might  be  a  soldier;  while  the  story  of  Wal- 
lace poured  a  Scottish  prejudice  in  my  veins, 
which  will  boil  along  there  till  the  flood- 
gates of  life  shut  in  eternal  rest." 


The  Influence  of  Good  Books      7 

Gladstone  enumerates  some  of  his  early- 
books — "Pilgrim'sProgress,"  "The  Arabian 
Nights,"  "  Tales  of  the  Genii,"  and  Miss 
Porter's  "Scottish  Chiefs."  The  latter,  he 
says,  touched  him  deeply,  "especially  the 
life  and  death  of  Wallace,  used  to  make  me 
weep.  This  would  be  when  I  was  about  ten 
years  old."  A  list  of  Gladstone's  readings 
the  year  he  was  seventeen  is  most  impress- 
ive. It  includes  among  other  things  Moliere 
and  Racine,  "  Tom  Jones,"  Tomline's  "Life 
of  Pitt,"  Leslie  on  "  Deism,"  Locke's  "  De- 
fence of  the  Reasonableness  of  Christianity," 
Milton's  Latin  poems  and  "Paradise  Lost," 
Ben  Jonson's  "Alchemist,"  and  Scott,  in- 
cluding the  "  Bride  of  Lammermoor."  The 
last  he  called  a  beautiful  tale,  and  it  was  in 
after  life  a  favorite  book.  Says  Morley,  re- 
ferring to  Gladstone's  notes  on  the  books 
he  read,  "Mention  is  made  of  many  sermons 
on  'Redeeming  the  time,'  'Weighed  in 
the  balance  and  found  wanting,' '  Cease  to  do 
evil,  learn  to  do  good,'  and  other  ever  un- 
exhausted texts.  One  constant  entry,  we 
may  be  sure,  is  '  Read  Bible.' " 


8  The  Children's  Reading 

Into  the  field  of  science  we  trace  the  book 
influence.  The  twelve-year-old  Huxley 
lighted  his  candle  before  daylight  and  with 
a  blanket  pinned  about  his  shoulders  read 
Hutton's  "  Geology."  "  One  of  his  boyish 
speculations,"  says  his  son,  "  was  as  to  what 
would  become  of  things  if  their  qualities 
were  taken  away;  and  lighting  upon  Sir 
William  Hamilton's  '  Logic '  he  devoured  it 
to  such  good  effect  that  when,  years  after- 
wards, he  came  to  tackle  the  great  philoso- 
phers, especially  the  English  and  German,  he 
found  he  had  already  a  clear  notion  of  where 
the  key  of  metaphysics  lay." 

It  is  not  possible  to  give  in  this  limited 
space  many  examples  of  the  influence  of 
books.  The  reader  is  referred  for  further 
evidence  to  the  table  of  early  readings  of 
great  people  which  forms  the  frontispiece  of 
this  volume.  But  we  cannot  better  close  this 
brief  survey  than  with  a  glimpse  of  young 
Abe  Lincoln  stretched  out  on  the  cabin 
floor,  reading,  by  the  light  of  a  burning 
log,  those  precious  books  to  borrow  which 
he  had  tramped  many  a  mile.  He  learned 


The  Influence  of  Good  Books      9 

Burns  by  heart,  and  Shakespeare,  too,  —  a 
significant  fact  when  we  consider  the  depth 
and  breadth  of  Shakespeare's  humanity, 
and  that  Bums  sang  the  brotherhood  of 
man. 

Thus  we  find  that  the  Past  presents  an 
overwhelming  and  convincing  mass  of  proof 
as  to  the  influence  of  books.  We  find 
many  men  and  women  deeply  moved  and 
impelled  by  what  they  read  —  strong  virile 
literature  capable  of  impressing  the  imagina- 
tion. And,  what  is  of  educational  importance, 
we  note  that  many  of  these  books  were  read, 
appreciated,  and  their  contents  absorbed  by 
the  very  young. 

With  this  evidence  before  us  we  should 
surely  feel  more  than  ever  the  grave  re- 
sponsibility of  directing  the  children's  read- 
ing, cultivating  their  powers  of  discrimin- 
ation, and  making  them  book-lovers  in  the 
finest  sense  of  the  word.  One  may  then  say 
with  the  Lacedemonian,  who,  when  asked 
what  he  had  done  for  the  child  in  his  charge, 
replied,  "I  make  good  and  honest  things 
pleasant  to  children." 


lo  The  Children's  Reading 

SOME   INTERESTING   ARTICLES   ON   THE 
EARLY   INFLUENCE   OF   GOOD   BOOKS 

Books  for  children  to  read.   (In  Baldwin,  Book 

Lover.) 

Evidences  of  the  influence  of  books  on  great  men, 
and  advice  on  the  selecdon  of  children's  books. 

On   novels  and   the  art  of  writing    them.    (In 
Trollope,  Autobiography.) 

On  the  character-moulding  powers  of  the  good  and 
bad  novel,  and  of  the  novelist's  responsibility. 

On  reading  old  books.  (In  Hazlitt,  Plain  Speaker.) 

A  charming  essay  laying  emphasis  on  the  pleasures 
of  reading  in  youth. 

The    problem.     (In    Moses,    Children's    Books 
and  Reading.) 

A  plea  for  strong  reading  for  children  —  a  chapter  in 
a  book  dealing  with  the  growth  of  children's  litera- 
ture. Contains  valuable  bibliographies  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

What  children    read.   (In  Repplier,  Books   and 
Men.) 

A  spicy  essay  comparing  the  strong  book  with  the 
weak. 


CHAPTER  II 

SOME   MODERN    CONDITIONS    AND    THE 
EFFECTS    OF   BAD  BOOKS 

**  Let  fuerything  possible  be  done  to  keep  these  sensitive 
boys  and  girls,  but  particularly  the  former,  from  familiarity 
nvith  crime.  Do  not  thrust  desperadoism  upon  them  from  the 
shop-nuindoius  through  the  picture-covered  dime  novel,  and 
the  flaring  pages  of  the  '  Police  Gazette. '  It  is  just  such 
teaching  by  suggestion  that  starts  many  an  honest  but  romantic 
boy  off  to  the  road,  avhen  a  little  cautious  legislation  might 
save  him  years  of  foolish  ivandering  and  the  State  the  expense 
of  housing  him  in  its  reformatories  later  on.  I  ivrite  vjith 
feeling,  at  this  point,  for  I  knovu  from  personal  experience 
vuhat  tantalizing  thoughts  a  dime  novel  vjill  aixiaken  in 
such  a  boy^  s  mind.  One  of  these  thoughts  ivill  play  more 
havoc  ivith  his  youth  than  can  be  made  good  in  his  manhood.^^ 
—  Flynt,  "  Tramping  with  Tramps." 

ALL  our  modern  children  are  not  Mil- 
tons,  Madame  Rolands,  or  Lincolns, 
living  comparatively  isolated  lives,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  few  strong  books  not  written 
for  children.  To-day  we  have  to  fece  rapidly 
changing  conditions.  Education  is  no  longer 
for  the  fortunate  few,  but  for  all.  Interests 
are  wider,  though  with  a  tendency  to  super- 


12         T.  E  Children's  Reading 

ficiality.  and  good  and  bad  books  may  be 
had  almost  for  the  asking.  So  before  we 
proceed  to  select  reading  for  the  present-day 
boys  and  girls  it  is  helpful  to  examine  some 
of  the  deteriorating  influences  which  affect 
their  reading  tastes. 

Modern  city  children  are  thrust,  almost 
in  babyhood,  into  the  ceaseless,  bewildering 
rush  of  life  outside  the  home.  They  are  ex- 
posed in  a  truer  sense  of  the  word  than  are 
the  children  whom  the  heathen  abandon  to 
die  of  cold  and  hunger  —  exposed  to  evil 
foes  attacking  from  all  sides :  to  weak  and 
bad  companions,  to  the  exciting  pleasures 
of  the  street,  to  the  influence  of  low  shows, 
coarse  pictures,  suggestive  bill-posters,  and 
to  the  dangerous  suggestions  of  the  nickel 
and  dime  novels.  Thus  the  children's  virtues 
are  likely  to  be  corrupted,  and  their  minds 
filled  with  coarsening  thoughts  and  ignoble 
purposes. 

The  church,  school,  settlement,  play- 
ground, and  public  library  are  all  doing  their 
share, to  counteract  deteriorating  influences, 
but  the  foundations  of  the  walls  that  will 


The  Effects  of  Bad  Books       13 

successfully  shut  out  these  warring  enemies 
of  the  soul  must  be  laid  in  the  home.  Teach- 
ers, librarians,  and  social  workers  can  cooper- 
ate with,  but  they  cannot  serve  as  substitutes 
for  educated  parents,  who,  by  the  laws  of 
family  relationship,  —  likeness  of  mental  pro- 
cesses, and  force  of  personal  example, — 
exert  a  more  powerful,  direct,  daily  influence 
on  the  moral,  mental,  and  spiritual  growth 
of  their  children. 

The  most  forceful  virtue-fostering  in- 
fluences are  to  be  found  in  the  highest  type  of 
the  home.  But  the  home  in  these  modern 
times  has  undergone  changes  which  have 
weakened  its  constructive  powers.  The 
mother  is  the  home-maker.  The  modern  fac- 
tory now  makes  many  of  the  household  sup- 
plies which  the  mother  formerly  made  with 
her  own  hands.  Thus  for  some  time  past  she 
has  been  relieved  of  a  number  of  home  du- 
ties, and  her  time  and  attention  have  been 
diverted  to  pleasures  and  duties  of  outside 
life.  Hitherto  the  modern  mother  has  had 
little  time  for  the  old-fashioned  companion- 
ship with  her  children,  to  read,  work,  or  sew 


14         The  Children's  Reading 

with  them,  or  to  devise  their  amusementa 
The  father  has  been  too  absorbed  by  his  busi- 
ness to  enjoy  his  children.  Thus  many  a  home 
has  offered  no  inducement  to  look  for  amuse- 
ment there,  consequently  it  has  lost  its 
strength  to  counteract  evil  outside  forces. 

Happily  there  has  been  of  late  a  strong  re- 
action towards  home-making  and  personal 
parental  supervision.  The  mother  is  now 
making  a  wise  adjustment  of  her  time  be- 
tween home  duties  and  the  pressing  calls  of 
the  outside  world  —  philanthropic,  educa- 
tional, and  civic.  She  is  studying  the  best 
methods  of  developing  her  children,  includ- 
ing the  guiding  of  reading.  Indeed,  the 
mother  now  realizes  that  weak  and  vicious 
books  undermine  character. 

In  order  to  meet  actual  conditions,  when 
guiding  the  children's  reading,  all  parents 
should  know  something  of  the  nature  of 
the  bad  books  that  fall  so  easily  into  their 
children's  hands. 

There  are  two  classes  of  bad  books :  one 
the  thrilling  tale  of  impossible  adventure, 
weak,  sentimental,  and  enervating,  neither 


The  Effects  of  Bad  Books        15 

strong  enough  to  incite  to  action,  nor  aiming 
to  inculcate  noble  ideas  of  right  and  wrong ; 
the  other  the  really  vicious  tale,  written  in 
bombastic  language  and  presenting  false  stan- 
dards of  life  and  morals  under  the  glamour  of 
sensational  love-story,  or  daring  adventures 
of  criminals,  detectives,  and  other  question- 
able heroes. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  keep  the  children, 
especially  city  children,  from  some  know- 
ledge of  these  books.  For  weak  and  vicious 
fiction  may  be  found  everywhere.  It  may  be 
bought  for  a  few  cents  from  the  news-stand, 
rented  from  cheap  subscription  libraries,  bor- 
rowed from  comrades,  and  found  even  on  the 
shelves  of  those  public  libraries  which  exer- 
cise no  educational  supervision  over  the 
selection  of  the  books  they  provide  for  the 
children  of  their  communities. 

Impelled  by  the  natural  force  of  book- 
hunger,  boys  and  girls  will  read  something, 
and  they  want  that  something  to  be  excit- 
ing or  emotional.  If  good  and  entertaining 
books  are  not  provided  the  boy  may  subsist 
entirely  (possibly  in  secret)   on  a  diet  of 


i6  The  Children's  Reading 

dime  and  nickel  novels,  and  if  procurable, 
on  the  lurid  pages  of  the  "  Police  Gazette  " 
while  the  girl  will  eagerly  devour  the  vulgar 
love-episodes  of  the  family  story  papers,  and 
the  cheap  "  yellow  novels."  Even  if  good 
books  are  made  available  the  boy  will  pro- 
bably read  his  quota  of  "  dimes  and  nickel." 

Happily  the  real  danger  from  reading  these 
tales  does  not  lie  in  enjoying  a  few  of  them, 
but  in  the  continuous  indulgence  in  weak 
and  vicious  reading.  At  a  very  early  period 
constructive  home  influences  should  be 
brought  to  bear  on  the  children.  Their  pow- 
ers of  discrimination  should  be  developed, 
and  mentality  strengthened ;  so  after  a  while 
they  will  find  that  the  cheap  story  palls  and 
becomes  insipid,  and  sensational  adventures 
seem  no  longer  plausible,  or  worth  reading, 
when  they  may  have  a  vigorous  story  for  the 
asking.  When  children  reach  this  stage,  then 
the  "yellow"  book  has  no  longer  any  hold 
on  them. 

If,  however,  constructive  influences  are  not 
brought  to  bear,  the  boy  is  likely  to  retain 
in  his  character  the  marks  set  by  the  false 


The  Effects  of  Bad  Books       17 

standards  of  life,  the  mock  heroics,  and  the 
criminal  suggestions  of  the  dime  and  nickel 
novels;  and  the  girl  will  continue  to  feed 
on  those  vulgar  love-tales,  which  cannot  fail 
to  color  her  views  of  life  in  general. 

Another  evil  force  to  be  fully  reckoned 
with  is  the  uncensored  moving-picture-show, 
where  on  the  screen  are  vivified  the  doings 
of  criminals,  outlaws,  and  vagabonds.  It  is 
a  common  occurrence  in  the  public  libraty 
for  children  to  ask  for  books  by  the  titles 
of  the  current  programmes  of  the  neighbor- 
hood picture-shows ;  proving  the  power  of 
moving-pictures  to  excite  interest  in  sensa- 
tional reading.  Here  the  same  undermining 
forces  are  at  work  as  in  the  dime  and  nickel 
novel — the  suggestions  entering  the  mind 
through  the  same  powerful  medium,  the 
imagination. 

In  this  necessarily  brief  survey  of  the  ef- 
fects of  bad  reading  it  is  not  possible  to  pre- 
sent the  matter  from  all  sides.  The  reader 
is  therefore  directed  for  further  information 
to  the  following  books  containing  much  food 
for  thought. 


l8  The  Children's  Reading 


ON  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  BAD  BOOKS 

Little  Pharisees  in  Fiction.  (In  Repplier,  Varia.) 
Of  Elsie  Dinsmore  and  her  kind. 

The  Children  of  the  Road.     (In  Flynt,  Tramp- 
ing with  Tramps.) 

**  In  the  bottom  of  their  hearts  they  are  no  worse  than 
the  average  boy  and  girl,  but  they  have  been  unfortu- 
nate enough  to  see  a  picture  or  hear  a  story  of  some 
famous  rascal  and  it  has  lodged  in  their  brains;  until 
the  temptation  to  '  go  and  do  likewise  *  has  come 
upon  them  with  such  overwhelming  force  that  they 
simply  cannot  resist." 

The  Influence  of  Books.  (In  Field,  Fingerposts 
to  Children's  Reading.) 

Gives  pracdcal  illustrations  of  the  effects  of  bad  boob. 


CHAPTER  III 

CHILDREN'S   INTERESTS 

"  Ste,  at  his  feet,  some  little  plan  or  chart. 
Some  fragment  from  his  dream  of  human  life^ 
Shaped  by  himself  <with  nenvly-leamed  art ; 
A  ivedding  or  a  festival, 
A  mourning  or  a  funeral  ; 

And  this  hath  noiv  his  heart. 
And  unto  this  he  frames  his  song  ,• 
Then  ivill  he  ft  his  tongue 
To  dialogues  of  business,  love,  or  strife  .  .  . 
Filling  from  time  to  time  his  "humorous  stage"* 
Jf^ith  all  the  Persons,  doivn  to  palsied  Age, 
That  life  brings  tuith  her  in  her  equipage  j 
As  if  his  avhole  vocation 
JVere  endless  imitation.'"'' 

Wordsworth. 

IF  parents  wish  to  initiate  their  children 
into  the  full  joys  of  reading,  they  must 
be  able  to  look  back,  at  their  own  childhood 
doings  through  a  veil  of  half-humorous  re- 
trospection. They  should  be  sympathetic 
with  children's  thrills  of  excitement,  with 
their  curiosity,  their  fancies,  their  sense  of 
humor,  and  with  their  love  of  warmth  and 
color. 


ao         The  Children's  Reading 

In  discussing  reading  we  may  pass  quickly 
over  the  good  little  children,  placidly  seated 
on  benches,  with  aprons  immaculate,  and 
smooth,  parlor-made  faces,  who,  if  they  exist 
outside  the  brain  of  the  sentimentalist,  may 
be  disposed  of  once  for  all  with  a  diet  of 
"Parent's  Assistant,"  "Rosamond  and  the 
Purple  Jar,"  "The  Fairchild  Family,"  and 
"Sandford  and  Merton"  —  or,  better  still, 
with  an  antidote  to  unnatural  goodness  in 
the  shape  of  liberal  doses  of  "  Peck's  Bad 
Boy"  and  the  "yellowest"  of  nickel  novels. 
The  children  whom  we  have  to  deal  with 
thoughtfully  are  those  of  the  playground 
and  nursery;  who  are  in  perpetual  motion, 
sparkling,  rumpled,  saucy,  mischievous,  in- 
quisitive, keen  at  questioning,  and  quick  to 
respond  to  suggestions  good  and  bad  if  they 
are  presented  in  an  enticing  way.  These 
children  are  a  never-failing  source  of  delight 
to  parents  who  study  the  interests  and  daily 
development  of  their  boys  and  girls,  and  who 
seek  to  fit  the  right  books  to  varying  tastes. 
Such  study  brings  not  only  pleasure  but 
wisdom  to  parents,  for,  as  Goethe  says,  "  If 


Children's  Interests  2i 

one,  after  the  manner  of  Swedenborgian  spir- 
its, wishes  to  look  through  the  eyes  of  others, 
one  would  do  best  to  use  children's  eyes  for 
that  purpose." 

The  process  of  gradually  moulding  the 
mind  of  a  child  is  best  begun  in  infancy. 
The  mother  finds,  even  before  the  little  one 
can  speak,  that  he  responds  to  rhythm.  First 
to  lullabies,  then  to  Mother  Goose  rhymes, 
repeated  over  and  over,  with  emphasis  on 
the  rhyme.  Half  the  baby's  pleasure  is  in 
the  frequent  hearing  of  a  familiar  strain.  The 
baby  enjoys  also,  largely  for  rhythm's  sake, 
short  stories  with  refrains  and  much  repeti- 
tion, also  cumulative  tales ;  like, "  The  Three 
Bears,"  "This  Little  Pig  went  to  Market," 
"To  Boston,  to  Boston,"  "The  House  that 
Jack  Built,"  "  The  Pig  that  would  not  go 
over  the  Stile,"  and  many  others  to  be  found 
in  Mother  Goose,  ^sop,  Grimm,  and  Ja- 
cobs. 

An  acquaintance  of  the  writer,  who  be- 
lieves in  the  importance  of  rhythmic  train- 
ing, reads  aloud  Italian  to  his  young  children, 
who,  though  they  do  not   understand  the 


% 


22         The  Children's  Reading 

meaning  of  the  words,  are  fascinated  by  the 
musical  cadence  of  the  language. 

The  writer  knows  of  one  baby  boy  who, 
long  before  he  could  speak,  would  sit  mo- 
tionless for  half  an  hour  or  more  on  his  aunt's 
lap  listening  to  stories  told  swiftly  and 
rhythmically  to  the  older  children.  He  was 
a  healthy,  active  little  lad,  full  of  mischief 
at  other  times,  but  during  story-telling  he 
would  sit  spell-bound,  with  eyes  fixed  stead- 
fastly on  the  story-teller's  face. 

This  feeling  for  rhythm  is  found  in  al- 
most every  normal  child.  It  is  in  fact  the 
rudiment  or  germ  of  a  sense  of  balance  and 
harmony,  and  as  such  should  be  carefully 
nurtured.  The  Greeks  laid  stress  on  this 
branch  of  education  —  the  development  of 
the  sense  of  harmony  through  music  and 
poetry.  And  modern  educators  are  introduc- 
ing folk-song  and  dancing  into  schools  and 
playground  curriculums. 

As  the  infant  passes  into  childhood  he  be- 
gins to  take  an  interest  in  live  things  —  es- 
pecially domestic  animals— and  later  in 
flowers,  wind,  rain,  stars,  and  other  expres- 


Children's  Interests  23 

sions  of  Nature.  He  finds  delight  in  picture- 
books,  and  short  stories  of  animals,  birds,  and 
flowers.  When  a  little  older  he  enjoys  fables, 
fairy  and  wonder  tales,  short  moral  stories, 
and  imaginative  tales  of  home,  play,  and 
humor. 

The  transition  from  childhood  into  boy- 
hood and  girlhood  is  at  first  scarcely  percep- 
tible. It  comes  at  no  definite  age,  but  accord- 
ing to  the  maturity  of  the  individual  child. 
It  usually  occurs  between  ten  and  twelve 
years  of  age.  At  this  period  both  boy  and 
girl  begin  to  show  a  twofold  interest  in  life 
and  books.  They  are  alike  in  their  idealistic 
interests  — that  is,  in  a  craving  for  romance 
and  chivalry,  and  the  poetic  interpretation  of 
ethical  truths.  But  they  begin  to  develop 
differing  sex  interests  in  the  affairs  and  books 
of  practical  life. 

As  a  boy's  practical  interest  evolves,  he, 
being  objective  by  nature,  prefers  stories  of 
athletics,  of  daring  adventures,  thrilling  dan- 
gers and  escapes,  also  of  gregarious  life,  such 
as  the  experiences  of  gangs,  pirates  and  rob- 
ber-bands, and  members  of  secret  societies 


a4         The  Children's  Reading 

and  clubs.  He  enjoys  history,  biography,  and 
books  that  show  him  how  to  make  and  do 
things. 

A  girl,  with  intense  subjectivity,  reads  by 
preference  stories  of  play,  home,  and  school 
life ;  the  burden  of  which  too  often  is  pain- 
ful mental  suffering  over  small  sins,  and 
misunderstandings.  As  she  grows  older  she 
enjoys  simple  love  stories  of  a  romantic 
nature. 

The  natural  instincts  of  a  girl  are  narrower 
than  a  boy's.  They  may  be  broadened,  how- 
ever, if  some  one  whom  she  admires  takes  an 
active  part  in  directing  her  reading;  for  the 
girl  is  a  hero-worshiper,  and  is  willing  to 
be  guided  by  the  judgment  of  one  whom 
she  likes.  On  the  other  hand,  a  boy  is  cau- 
tious about  taking  advice  from  any  one  who 
does  not  agree  with  his  definite  likes  for 
things  and  actions ;  this  is  especially  true  of 
his  reading. 

Although  it  is  possible  to  classify  roughly 
certain  tastes  and  interests  as  belonging  to 
one  or  more  periods  ofchildhood  and  youth, 
it  is  impossible  to~forecast  the  individual 


Children's  Interests  25 

talents  and  preferences  of  children.  These, 
parents  must  watch  and  satisfy  as  need  calls, 
and  adjust  their  selection  of  books  accord- 
ingly. 

There  are  books  to  meet  all  interests,  indi- 
vidual, idealistic,  practical ;  books  that  will  sat- 
isfy budding  talents,  and  books  that  cover  a 
wide  range  of  popular  girl  and  boy  interests; 
many  of  these  the  children  will  read  for  them- 
selves without  pressure.  But  the  books  that 
may  forcibly  impress  on  character  ideas  of  jus- 
tice, truth,  honor,  loyalty,  and  heroism,  these 
must  be  introduced  to  the  children  through 
tactful  and  enjoyable  methods,  which  will 
stimulate  the  imagination.  Some  of  these 
methods  already  proved  to  be  successful  are 
briefly  discussed  in  the  following  chapter. 

There  is,  however,  no  more  refreshing  way 
of  renewing  one's  youth  than  through  read- 
ing some  of  the  human  books  listed  below. 
The  list  is  merely  suggestive,  for  there  are 
many  other  stories  dealing  sympathetically 
with  children's  interests. 


0.6         The  Children's  Reading 
on  children's  interests 

Infancy  and  childhood 
Cosette,  book  3.   (In  Hugo,  Les  Miserables.) 

Cosette  works,  plays,  and  suffers  at  Thenardier's 
inn. 

Golden  Age.  (Grahame.) 

Charming,  reminiscent  tales,  told  with  poetic  feeling 
and  sympathy  with  childhood's  plays  and  fancies. 

King  John,  Act  IV.  (Shakespeare.) 

Arthur  and  Hubert.  ^  «  ^  €»  tv. 
Little  Annie's   Ramble.    (In    Hawthorne,  Little 
Daffydowndilly.) 

**  When  our  infancy  is  almost  forgotten,  and  our 
boyhood  long  departed,  though  it  seems  but  as  yes- 
terday ;  when  life  settles  darkly  down  upon  us,  and 
we  doubt  whether  to  call  ourselves  young  any  more, 
then  it  is  good  to  steal  away  from  the  society  of 
bearded  men,  and  pven  of  gentler  woman,  and  spend 
an  hour  or  two  with  children." 

Pearl.  (In  Hawthorne,  Scarlet  Letter.) 

"In  this  one  child  there  were  many  children,  com- 
prehending the  full  scope  between  the  wild-flower 
prettiness  of  a  peasant  baby,  and  the  pomp,  in  little, 
of  an  infant  princess." 

The  Madness  of  Philip.  (Daskam.) 

A  collection  of  short  stories  setting  forth  most  hu- 
morously the  badnesses,  mischief,  and  fiin  of  small 
children. 


Children's  Interests  27 

Girlhood 

Boy  and  Girl,  and  School-time.  (In  Eliot,  Mill 

on  the  Floss.) 

Development  of  a  high-spirited  and  sensitive  girl. 
Little  Women.   (Alcott.) 

Of  normal,  wholesome  girl-interests. 
One  I  Knew  Best  of  All.  (Burnett.) 

Story  of  a  lonely,  self-centred  girlhood. 
Phoebe  and  Ernest.,  (Gillmore.) 

Of  the  domestic  relations  between  some  practical 
American  parents  and  their  children. 

The  Sisters  Rajevski.  (Sonia  Kovalevsky.) 

An  interesting  autobiographical  sketch  of  the  educa- 
tion and  development  of  Sonia  and  her  sister. 

Boyhood 
Being  a  Boy.  (Warner.) 

An  elderly  boy's  reminiscences  of  his  farm  life.  Hu- 
morous and  delightful. 

Cousin  Rufus's  Story.  (In  Riley,  A  Child- Wprld.) 
About  a  runaway  boy. 

Boyhood  of  David.  (In  Dickens,  David  Copper- 
field.) 

Of  whom  Dickens  says :  "  I  have  in  my  heart  of 
hearts  a  favorite  child,  and  his  name  is  David  Cop- 
perfield." 

Story  of  a  Bad  Boy.  (Aldrich.) 

A  happy-hearted,  humorous  record  of  the  author's 
New  England  boyhood. 


a8  The  Children's  Reading 

Fom  Brown's  School  Days.  (Hughes.) 

A  story  embodying  the  principles  which  Dr.  Arnold 
of  Rugby  used  to  develop  boys  into  manly.  Chris- 
tian men. 

Tom  Sawyer.  (Twain.) 

Humorous  and  clever  study  of  natural,  untamed  in- 
terests of  boys  —  such  incidents  as  mysterious  caves, 
grave-robbing,  midnight  marauding,  drinking,  smok- 
ing, superstitions,  early  loves,  vagabond  life,  treas- 
ure-finding, and  robber-gangs  with  secret  and  bloody 
oaths. 


/  ^ 


CHAPTER   IV 

WAYS    OF   GUIDING   READING 

"  The  telling  of  stories  refreshes  the  mind  as  a  hath  re- 
freshes the  body ;  it  gives  exercise  to  the  intellect  and  its 
poivers;  it  tests  the  judgment  and  the  feelings."'' — Froebel. 

"  There  is  no  academy  on  earth  equal  to  a  mother's  read- 
ing to  her  child."''  —  Scudder, 

COMPANIONSHIP  of  parents  and 
children,  and  mutual  enjoyment  of 
books  are  then  the  foundation  of  successful 
guiding  of  children's  home  reading.  This 
exchange  of  sympathies  may  be  brought 
about  by  very  simple  methods,  if  they  are 
utilized  by  parents  after  a  joyous  not  didac- 
tic fashion. 

As  soon  as  a  little  child  can  understand 
simple  spoken  language  he  should  be  told 
stories  regularly.  He  is  not  yet  ready  to  be 
read  aloud  to,  as  it  is  difficult  for  him  to 
concentrate  attentiori  on  spoken  words  only. 
He  craves  the  closer  sympathy  aroused  by 
watching  the  story-teller's  face ;  for  the  play 


30         The  Children's  Reading 

of  emotions  on  the  face,  and  the  cadences 
of  the  voice  as  it  fits  itself  to  the  narrative, 
heighten  a  child's  pleasure  and  help  to  keep 
his  absorbed  attention. 

At  story-telling  time  a  child's  mind  is 
open  to  the  deepest  impressions.  His  emo- 
tions may  be  swayed  towards  good  or  bad. 
His  imagination  is  active,  making  a  succes- 
sion of  mental  pictures.  Through  story- 
telling he  may  be  taught  the  difference  be- 
tween right  and  wrong,  and  his  mind  may 
be  stocked  with  beautiful  mental  images, 
and  as  soon  as  he  can  read  he  may  be  given 
the  books  that  contain  the  stories  told,  and 
be  encouraged  to  read  for  himself 

The  delights  of  story-telling,  its  power  to 
stimulate  the  imagination  of  the  story-teller 
as  well  as  the  interest  of  the  listeners,  are  set 
forth  in  this  charming  picture  of  mother  and 
son  given  us  by  Goethe's  mother.  "Air,  fire, 
earth,  and  water  I  presented  under  the  forms 
of  princesses ;  and  to  all  natural  phenomena 
I  gave  a  meaning,  in  which  I  almost  be- 
lieved more  fervently  than  my  little  hearers. 
As  we  thought  of  paths  which  led  from  star 


Ways  of  Guiding  Reading        31 

to  star,  and  that  we  should  one  day  inhabit 
the  stars,  and  thought  of  the  great  spirits  we 
should  meet  there,  I  was  as  eager  for  the 
hours  of  story-telHng  as  the  children  them- 
selves; I  was  quite  curious  about  the  future 
course  of  my  own  improvisation,  and  any 
invitation  which  interrupted  these  evenings 
was  disagreeable.  There  I  sat  and  there 
Wolfgang  held  me  with  his  large  black 
eyes;  and  when  the  fate  of  one  of  his  favor- 
ites was  not  according  to  his  fancy,  I  saw 
the  angry  veins  swell  on  his  temples ;  I  saw 
him  repress  his  tears.  He  often  burst  in  with, 
*But,  mother,  the  princess  won't  marry  the 
nasty  tailor,  even  if  he  does  kill  the  giant ! ' 
And  when  I  made  a  pause  for  the  night, 
promising  to  continue  it  on  the  morrow,  I 
was  certain  that  he  would  in  the  meanwhile 
think  it  out  for  himself,  and  so  he  often 
stimulated  my  imagination." 

Thus  Goethe's  mother  leamed  her  story- 
telling methods  from  her  children,  and,  un- 
reining her  imagination,  carried  her  children 
with  her  into  wonder-realms.  She  helped  the 
evolution  of  her  son's  rich  intellect,  and  by 


34         The  Children's  Reading 

so  doing  enlarged  her  own  nature.  In  this 
way  any  mother  may  learn  of  her  children, 
but  she  will  do  well  to  supplement  this  nat- 
ural training  by  studying  the  methods  of 
professional  story-tellers;  for  this  purpose 
she  will  find  helpful  the  books  listed  at  the ' 
end  of  this  chapter.  Miss  Bryant,  in  sum- 
ming up  the  essentials  of  good  story-telling, 
says  that  it  "  includes  sympathy,  grasp, 
spontaneity ;  one  must  appreciate  the  story, 
and  know  it ;  and  then,  using  the  realizing 
imagination  as  a  vivifying  force,  and  dom- 
inated by  the  mood  of  the  story,  one  must 
tell  it  with  all  one's  might, — simply,  vitally, 
joyously." 

A  broad  education  may  be  given  older 
children  by  supplementing  the  story-hour 
with  systematic  reading  aloud.  As  a  child 
grows  older  a  regular  hour  should  be  set 
aside  daily  for  reading  aloud 'to  him.  This 
should  not  interfere  with  playtime  in  the  open 
air.  A  bedtime  hour  for  reading,  or  an  eve- 
ning reading  in  the  family  sitting-room,  is 
conducive  to  a  delightful  companionship 
of  parents,  children,  and  books.  The  litera- 


Ways  of  Guiding  Reading        23 

ture  thus  read  should  be,  as  far  as  possible, 
of  a  vital  kind  that  the  children  are  not  likely 
at  first  to  enjoy  by  themselves.  Such  an 
introduction  to  fine  books,  with  possibly  a 
second  reading  of  favorites,  will  make  them 
forever  a  part  of  the  literary  equipment  of  the 
children. 

One  grandmother  of  to-day,  the  centre  and 
life  of  her  large  household,  has,  by  dint  of 
systematic  reading  aloud,  and  careful  selec- 
tion of  books,  developed  the  literary  taste  of 
six  children  of  her  own,  and  two  nephews, 
and  is  now  pursuing  the  same  course  with 
three  grandchildren.  The  oldest  grandchild 
is  nine  years  old,  and  her  general  knowledge 
of  history  and  literature  would  be  remarkable 
in  a  girl  of  twelve.  The  child's  unfatigued 
mind  and  plastic  memory  has  unconsciously 
gathered  from  the  reading  many  facts  and 
ideas,  which  have  become,  as  it  were,  a  part 
of  her  being,  and  she  readily  absorbs  this 
knowledge  because  it  appeals  to  her  through 
her  imagination.  Two  hours  a  day  the  grand- 
mother sets  aside  for  reading  aloud  to  the 
children.  One  directly  after  luncheon,  and 


34         The  Children's  Reading 

the  other  at  bedtime.  The  children  sew, 
embroider,  or  do  other  work,  while  being 
read  to,  and  they  look  forward  to  their  hour. 
The  programme  covers  a  wide  range  of 
reading,  including  books  for  little  folk,  and 
biography,  travel,  history,  poetry,  and  the 
classics  for  the  older  ones,  and  once  a  month 
"St.  Nicholas."  Each  evening  reading-hour  is 
begun  by  a  chapter  from  the  Bible  or  "Pil- 
grim's Progress,"  which  are  thus  evening  by 
evening  read  through  with  judicious  skip- 
ping. A  large  share  of  this  grandmother's 
success  lies  in  her  own  enjoyment  of  what  she 
reads ;  in  her  keen  and  youthful  relish  for  a 
good  story,  and  in  her  low  but  expressive 
voice,  which  modulates  itself  to  the  interest 
of  the  narrative.  She  unconsciously  ex- 
emplifies the  ancient  admonition  to  "carry 
your  voice  softly  and  low,  as  it  were  in  the 
chariot  of  another  man's  words." 

Wagner  tells  us  that  when  he  was  six 
years  old  his  father  placed  him  with  a  clergy- 
man, to  be  brought  up  with  other  boys  of 
his  own  class.  The  vicar,  Herr  Wetzel,  read 
aloud  and  told  stories  in  the  evenings.  He 


Ways  of  Guiding  Reading        35 

"  used  to  tell  us,"  writes  Wagner,  "  the  story 
of  Robinson  Crusoe,  and  discuss  it  with  us 
in  a  highly  instructive  manner.  I  was,  more- 
over much  impressed  by  a  biography  of 
Mozart,  which  was  read  aloud;  and  the 
newspaper  accounts  and  monthly  reports  of 
the  events  of  the  Greek  War  for  Independ^ 
ence  stirred  my  imagination  deeply.  My 
love  for  Greece,  which  afterwards  made  me 
turn  with  enthusiasm  to  the  mythology  and 
history  of  ancient  Hellas,  was  thus  the  natu- 
ral outcome  of  the  intense  and  painful  in-, 
terest  I  took,  in  the  events  of  this  period." 
And  later,  when  leaving  his  home  in  Eisle-i 
ben,  Wagner  writes :  "  I  soon  made  myself 
at  home  with  a  soap-boiler's  family,  to  whom 
the  house  belonged,  and  became  popular 
with  them  on  account  of  the  stories  I 
told." 

-  The  selection  of  stories  to  tell  or  read 
aloud  is  a  question  of  importance,  and  to 
choose  the  best  from  the  great  mass  of  avail- 
able literature  is  a  long  and  difficult  task. 
To  this  end  valuable  suggestions  will  be 
found    in    both    Miss    Bryant's    and    Miss 


36  The  Children's  Reading 

Lyman*s  books,  and  in  "  The  Fingerposts  ** 
of  Mr.  Field,  but  as  an  aid  to  busy  parents 
a  graded  list  of  "  one  hundred  good  stories 
to  tell  and  where  to  find  them,"  is  added 
to  the  appendix  of  this  volume ;  and  at  the 
end  of  each  chapter  on  children's  bo9ks 
is  a  list  of  recommended  books  from  which 
may  be  selected  stories  to  read  aloud. 

A  systematic  programme,  not  too  ironclad, 
may  be  arranged,  or  the  story-teller  and 
reader  may  follow  the  children's  requests. 
One  book  often  suggests  another,  or  the  child- 
ren become  interested  in  special  subjects.  It 
may  be  necessary  to  lead  up  to  the  strong 
books  by  reading  aloud  first  from  good  but 
more  ephemeral  stories ;  for  instance,  the  read- 
ing of  Howard  Pyle's  "  Robin  Hood  "  may 
create  a  desire  to  hear  Robin  Hood  ballads, 
and  possibly  "  Ivanhoe  "  may  be  enjoyed.  In 
the  same  way  Bennett's  "  Master  Skylark  " 
may  lead  to  Tappan's  "  In  the  Days  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,"  Rolfe's  "Shakespeare,  the  Boy," 
and  later  to  Yonge's  "  Unknown  to  History," 
" Kenilworth,"  and  "Westward  Hoi"  01 
even  to  the  reading  of  Shakespeare's  plays, 


Ways  of  Guiding  Reading        37 

either  in  original  form,  or  in  the  renditions 
of  Lamb  and  Hoffman. 
V  The  building-up  of  the  home  library  is  an 
essential  aid  in  the  development  of  literary 
taste,  and  only  books  worth  reading  twice 
should  be  bought  for  it.  Almost  every  child 
has  at  one  time  or  another  the  collecting 
mania.  This  may  be  turned  to  good  account 
if  he  is  encouraged  to  expend  his  collecting 
effort  on  books.  If  expensive  editions  are  out 
of  the  question  there  are  many  compara- 
tively cheap  ones  which  are  a  pleasure  and 
an  education  to  own.  A  neat  book-case,  and 
a  book-plate  with  his  name  on  it  increase  a 
child's  joy  of  ownership.  The  book-plate 
may  be  obtained  of  an  art-stationer,  or,  for 
a  small  sum,  it  may  be  made  by  any  printer. 
In  the  latter  case  the  plate  may  be  about 
two  inches  square,  made  of  cream-white, 
flexible  paper.  A  simple  decorative  border 
may  be  used,  and  the  child's  name  —  Mary 
Phillips,  her  book,  or  Edwin  Hunt,  his  book, 
as  the  case  may  be — printed  in  two  lines  in 
the  centre. 

Children  like  to  keep  lists  of  the  books 


38  The  Children's  Reading 

they  read,  or  to  copy  short  poems  and  wise 
sayings.  An  attractive  little  blank  book, 
with  a  gay  cover,  and  with,  if  possible,  the 
child's  name  printed  on  it,  will  prove  an  in- 
centive to  good  reading.  Lincoln  as  a  boy 
kept  such  a  record  on  boards  when  he  had 
no  paper.  "  We  have  heard  of  writers  and 
scholars,"  writes  his  biographer.  Brooks, 
"  who  make  a  commonplace  book  in  which 
may  be  recorded  things  noteworthy  and 
memorable.  Abraham  Lincoln,  at  the  age 
often,  kept  such  a  book.  It  was  first  writ- 
ten on  wooden  'shakes,'  with  charcoal. 
Transferred  to  paper  with  pen  and  ink,  and 
repeated  often,  the  noble  thoughts  and  me- 
lodious lines  of  famous  men  had  already 
become  a  part  of  the  education  of  the  Presi- 
dent that  was  to  be." 

Thus  with  a  good  and  varied  library  to 
choose  from,  and  a  regular  book-hour  for 
story-telling  or  reading  aloud,  parents  may 
not  only  accomplish  wonders  in  the  educa- 
tion of  their  children,  but  they  may  bring 
about  a  mutual  enjoyment  that  will  as  time 
goes  on  result  in  a  deep,  tender,  and  abiding 


Ways  of  Guiding  Reading        30 

friendship  between  themselves  and  their  boy'y 
and  girls,  and  in  after  years  those  children 
will  look,  back  with  grateful  memories  to 
the  social  hour  which  gave  them  not  only 
their  love  of  books,  but  brought  them  nearer 
to  their  home. 

HELPS   IN   GUIDING  CHILDREN'S  READING 

How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children.    (Bryant.) 

A  practical  manual  on  story-telling.  Contains  chap- 
ters on  selecting  and  adapting  stories  ;  on  how  to 
tell  stories,  and  also  includes  a  number  of  stories 
already  adapted  for  the  teller,  together  with  lists  of 
good  stories  to  tell. 

Reading  in  the  Home.  (In  Field,  Fingerposts  to 
Children's  Reading.) 

Ways  of  directing  reading,  together  with  a  suggest- 
ive list  of  books. 

Story-Telling,  What  to  Tell  and  How  to  Tell  it. 
(Lyman.) 

With  special  reference  to  story-telling  from  epic  and 
romance.  Contains  also  a  chapter  on  reading  aloud, 
with  suggestions  as  to  what  to  read. 


CHAPTER  V 

PICTURE   BOOKS  AND   ILLUSTRATORS 

«« A  picture  is  the  simplest  and  most  elementary  expression 
of  an  idea.  It  precedes  ^written  language.  The  sa'vage  told 
his  primitive  stories  by  means  of  picture-'writtng  before  his 
descendants  learned  the  use  of  letters ;  and  as  the  childhood 
of  the  individual  is  a  counterpart  of  the  childhood  of  the  ract, 
the  child  to-day  expects  the  picture  to  tell  his  story  also,  before 
the  text  is  open  to  him."  — W.  T.  Field. 

THE  picture-book  has  a  distinct  educa-  "" 
tional  place.  It  stocks  the  imagination 
with  pictured  facts  outside  the  individual's 
daily  experience,  and  it  may  train  the  eye  to 
an  appreciation  of  fine  color,  harmony,  and 
line ;  and  it  may  also  feed  the  developing 
senses  of  fancy  and  humor.  For  these  rea- 
sons the  selection  of  a  child's  picture-books 
is  important. 

There  are  city  children  who  have  never 
seen  fields  of  daisies  and  rippling  grain,  and 
they  have  never  played  in  a  haycock,  driven 
cows  to  pasture,  or  gone  berrying  or  wild- 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    41 

flower  gathering,  nor  have  they  fished  with 
bent  pins  in  willow-shaded  brooks.  There 
are  country  children  who  have  never  seen 
the  city,  or  a  circus,  or  the  trains,  ships,  or 
traffic  of  busy,  crowded  life.  But  both  city 
and  country  children  may  learn  of  all  these 
things,  enjoyably,  from  their  picture-books. 
Through  pictures  they  may  gather  inform- 
ation about  life  in  many  lands,  natural  his- 
tory of  other  countries,  and  manners  and 
customs  of  former  days;  all  of  which  helps 
to  prepare  them  for  a  wider  understanding 
of  the  books  they  will  read  when  older. 

But  to  produce  the  best  results  a  child 
should  enjoy  his  pictures,  and  they  should 
appeal  through  his  imagination  to  his  in- 
terests. He  has  definite  preferences  for  cer- 
tain kinds  of  pictures.  When  little  he  enjoys 
linen  books  showing  dogs,  cats,  horses,  and 
other  domestic  animals,  and  later  those  de- 
picting bears,  tigers,  and  wild  life ;  he  also 
enjoys  pictures  of  children's  play  and  home 
life.  He  likes  these  illustrations  if  they  are 
warm  in  color,  full  of  action,  and  drawn  with 
large  simple  lines,  with  little  detail,  and  the 


A 


42  The  Children's  Reading 

last  only  when  it  helps  explain  the  story  told 
by  the  picture. 

When  the  little  girl  and  boy  have  out- 
grown the  elementary  "toy"  books,  they 
will  pore  for  hours  over  illustrations  of  rail- 
way trains,  ships,  soldiers,  workingmen,  doll's 
housekeeping,  and  children  at  play,  and  over 
pictures  telling  in  sequence  whole  tales  of 
wonder  and  action.  But  especially  delightful 
to  the  small  child  is  the  humorous  picture- 
book,  frolicsome,  fanciful,  and  laughter- 
making. 

The  writer  has  had  a  great  deal  of  expe- 
rience in  helping  children  to  choose  picture- 
books,  and  she  has  noticed  that  they  do  not 
instinctively  choose  the  ordinary  photogra- 
phic reproduction,  the  retrospective  picture, 
or  the  poster-picture,  heavily  printed  in  black 
and  white,  or  the  decorative  illustration,  or 
the  impressionistically  colored  one.  They 
like  at  first  primary  colors,  and  later  the 
warm  coloring  of  nature.  Action  and  joy, 
fun  and  fancy  are  the  keynotes  of  favorite 
pictures.  Children  also  like  illustrations  in 
black  and  white  if  they  tell  a  story  simply 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    43 

and  humanly.  An  example  of  this  is  the 
popularity  of  Foster's  "  Story  of  the  Bible," 
illustrated  with  old-fashioned  woodcuts.  The 
above  principles  apply  not  only  to  picture- 
books,  but,  to  a  certain  extent,  to  the  illus- 
trations of  books  for  older  boys  and  girls. 

Unfortunately  there  is  not  a  large  or  varied 
line  of  excellent  picture-books  to  choose 
from.  Subjects  of  educational  importance  or 
of  interest  to  children  have  not  been  ade- 
quately covered.  Too  many  of  the  picture- 
books  that  deluge  the  market  are  crude  in 
color  or  coarse  in  treatment ;  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  illustrations  for  the  books  of 
older  children  are  many  and  attractive. 

Most  of  our  finest  linen,  board,  and  cloth- 
bound  picture-books,  as  well  as  the  best  ju- 
venile book  illustration,  are  the  work  of  Eng- 
lish artists,  who  seem  to  have  retained  their 
spontaneous  freshness  of  youthful  outlook. 
They  spare  no  pains  to  make  their  work 
artistic  as  well  as  attractive.  Among  the 
pioneers  of  modern  English  juvenile  illus- 
tration are  Cruikshank,  Caldecott,  Walter 
Crane,  Sir  John  Tenniel,  and  Kate  Green- 


44         The  Children's  Reading 

away.  These  artists  have  produced  classic 
illustrations  which  should  be  apart  of  every 
child's  education. 

Cruikshank's  pictures  for  the  old  fairy- 
tales are  wonderfully  imaginative,  and  stim- 
ulating to  the  fancy.  He  created  a  fairy- 
land, and  his  giants  seem  to  grow  before 
our  eyes.  His  text  he  twisted  into  temper- 
ance lectures  for  the  young,  thus  destroying 
their  value  as  folk-literature,  but  the  volume 
makes  an  inimitable  picture-book. 

For  humor,  action,  and  story-telling  quality 
no  children's  artist  has  surpassed  Randolph 
Caldecott  in  his  illustrations  for  "The  Di- 
verting History  of  John  Gilpin,"  "The 
Babes  in  the  Wood,"  "An  Elegy  on  the 
Death  of  a  Mad  Dog,"  and  other  classic 
rhymes  for  the  nursery.  Walter  Crane  has 
triumphed  over  the  children's  instinctive 
aversion  to  decorative  drawing.  This  suc- 
cess is  largely  due  to  Crane's  choice  for  il- 
lustration of  popular  subjects,  like  The 
Sleeping  Beauty,  Red  Riding  Hood,  Cin- 
derella, Jack  and  the  Bean  Stalk,  and  also 
to  his  romantic  treatment  and  his  coloring. 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    45 

warm  and  rich.  His  decorative  drawing 
subordinates  itself  to  his  story,  which  he 
tells  in  a  delightful  sequence  of  pictures 
that  develop  the  tale  without  the  aid  of  the 
text.  His  books  are  an  education  in  line,  \ 
color,  and  design,  and  fortunately  they  may  \ 
be  bought  in  cheap  paper  form  as  well  as 
in  the  more  expensive  bound  edition.  Cut 
out  and  mounted  on  soft-toned  brown  card- 
board, with  a  black  border  drawn  closely 
about  the  pictures,  they  make  an  artistic  and 
fascinating  nursery  frieze. 

Sir  John  Tenniel  helped  to  create  "  Alice 
in  Wonderland,"  for  his  convincing  pic- 
tures did  much  to  immortalize  the  wonder- 
child.  When  such  perfect  harmony  between 
text  and  illustration  exists,  as  it  does  in  the 
original  editions  of  Carroll's  classic  story,  it 
seems  almost  sacrilegious  for  other  artists  to 
attempt  to  improve  onTenniel's  work.  Hap- 
pily so  far  no  one  has  achieved  such  a  suc- 
cess that  the  original  illustrations  are  likely 
to  be  neglected. 

The  sprightliness  and  delicacy  of  child- 
hood, the  freshness  and  joy  of  springtime, 


46  The  Children's  Reading 

reminding  one  of  William  Blake  in  spirit, 
are  the  essence  of  Kate  Greenaway's  charm. 
Of  her  Andrew  Lang  says :  "  Since  Stothard, 
no  one  has  given  us  such  a  clear-eyed,  hap- 
py-hearted childhood.  Added  to  this,  the 
Old  World  costume  in  which  Miss  Green- 
away  clothes  her  characters  lends  an  arch 
piquancy." 

These  pioneers  in  English  juvenile  illus- 
tration have  been  followed  by  many  more 
of  varying  merit.  Among  the  newer  artists 
is  Hugh  Thomson,  whose  spirited  illustra- 
tions of  Darton's  Canterbury  Pilgrims  are  in 
keeping  with  the  vigorous  language  of  this 
rendition  of  the  Chaucer  tales.  All  we  re- 
gret is  that  the  artist's  name  does  not  ap- 
pear oftener  on  the  title-pages  of  children's 
books.  Another  fine  illustrator  is  L.  Leslie 
Brooke,  who  depicts  most  humorously  and 
imaginatively  the  talking  animals  of  the  nur- 
sery rhymes  and  stories.  The  funny  detail 
of  his  pictures  convulses  little  children  v/ith 
laughter,  and  his  coloring  is  very  attractive 
to  the  young.  Louis  Wain,  too,  draws  ani- 
mals—  cats — with  delightful  humor.  Bed- 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    47 

ford  creates  fanciful  pictures,  and  Brock 
illustrates  classic  fiction  with  delicate  colored 
plates  showing  old-time  life.  Rackham  uses 
soft  ivory  effects  which  please  sesthetic  child- 
ren, while  Helen  Stratton  handles  primary- 
colors  so  that  they  lose  much  of  their  crude- 
ness.  She  illustrates  nursery  tales,  in  large 
simple  lines,  very  taking  with  the  little  peo- 
ple. 

It  is  only  within  a  few  years  that  well- 
known  American  illustrators  have  turned 
their  attention  to  children.  This  portends 
the  arrival  of  the  American  artistically  illus- 
trated "juvenile."  Unfortunately  some  of 
the  most  prominent  of  the  illustrators  tend 
towards  an  involved  poster  style,  or  they 
depict  the  sentimental,  or  retrospective  and 
introspective  phases  of  child  life.  These  il- 
lustrations are  appreciated  by  grown  people, 
but  they  fall  utterly  outsi'de  the  normal, 
hearty  interests  of  childhood.  Examples  of 
such  illustration  may  be  found  in  the  work 
of  the  Rhead  brothers,  Elizabeth  Shippen 
Green,  Jessie  Willcox  Smith,  and  even 
Maxfield  Parrish.   These  artists  have  done 


48  The  Children's  Reading 

some  work  attractive  to  children,  but  their 
usual  style  is  not  so. 

Some  fine  American  artists,  who  have 
achieved  notable  success  from  the  standpoint 
of  children,  are  Howard  Pyle,  Remington, 
E.  Boyd  Smith,  Palmer  Cox,  Gelett  Bur- 
gess, Peter  Newell,  and  Reginald  Birch. 

The  illustrations  of  "  Men  of  Iron,"  and 
"Jack  Ballister's  Fortunes,"  show  Mr.  Pyle 
at  his  best,  but  his  pictures  for  "The  Won- 
der Clock,"  suggestive  of  the  Albrecht  Dii- 
rer  school,  do  not  arouse  a  thrill  of  response 
in  every  child.  Remington  illustrates,  with 
spirit,  cowboy  and  Indian  life,  while  E. 
Boyd  Smith  tells  a  good  story  in  his  pic- 
tures, as  may  be  seen  in  his  "  Robinson  Cru- 
soe," and  "The  Last  of  the  Mohicans";  but 
his  coloring  in  his  picture-books  is  not  sat- 
isfactory to  little  children,  although  they 
enjoy  his  pictures  because  of  his  story-tell- 
ing power  or  his  humor. 

Past-masters  in  the  art  of  grotesque  draw- 
ing are  Palmer  Cox,  Gelett  Burgess,  and 
Peter  Newell.  Their  books  are  highly  sat- 
isfying to  the  small  boy  who  revels  in  a 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    49 

rollicking  book  that  shakes  both  one's  sides 
with  laughter.  These  grotesque  illustrations 
supply  the  demand  of  the  most  embryonic 
sense  of  child-humor,  and  they  displace  the 
Buster  Brown  and  Foxy  Grandpa  variety 
of  picture-book. 

Reginald  Birch  represents  a  large  class 
of  artists  on  this  side  of  the  water,  who  pro- 
duce pretty,  sentimental  pictures,  especially 
pleasing  to  girls.  His  illustrations  have  a 
quaintness,  and  a  light,  graceful  quality  that 
redeem  them  from  condemnation  on  the 
score  of  sentimentality. 

Both  in  England  and  America  there  is 
a  host  of  rising  artists  who  are  doing  color 
work  and  illustrating  in  black  and  white. 
Some  of  their  work,  from  the  children's 
standpoint,  is  most  promising.  They  illus- 
trate new  juvenile  fiction  galore  and  primers, 
readers,  and  the  pages  of  "St.  Nicholas." 
They  keep  closely  to  children's  interests, 
and  through  their  selection  and  presentation 
of  subjects  they  do  much  to  visualize  for  chil- 
dren scenes  and  experiences  which  broaden 
child-outlook   on  life.  Among  these    illus- 


50         The  Children's  Reading 

trators  are  Lucy  Fitch  Perkins,  Hope  Dun- 
lap,  Blanche  Ostertag,  M.  W.  Enright,  Bea- 
trix Potter,  M.  L.  Kirk,  T.  H.  Robinson, 
and  A.  G.  Walker. 

Picture-books  roughly  classify  themselves 
into  four  groups ;  the  didactic y  which  includes 
alphabet  books,  those  showing  manners  and 
customs,  and  those  depicting  historical  events, 
mechanical  objects,  and  natural  history;  the 
domestic^  showing  home,  school,  and  play 
life;  t\it  fanciful  and  artisticy  including  story- 
telling pictures  of  fancy  and  wonder ;  and 
last  but  not  least,  the  humorous  picture-book. 
The  appended  list  of  recommended  books 
follows  this  form. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  the  writer 
wishes  to  make  a  plea  for  the  best  of  picture- 
books,  which,  though  not  intended  for  child- 
ren, sometimes  form  decided  tastes  that  in- 
fluence the  after  life  of  a  child.  These  are 
odd  volumes  of  old  magazines,  and  illus- 
trated books  of  travel,  history,  biography, 
and  adventure.  One  young  woman,  within 
the  writer's  knowledge,  bears  in  her  mind 
indelible  marks  impressed  by  such  volumes 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    51 

as  fell  into  her  hands  when  a  child.  The 
pictured  "Life  of  Napoleon,"  by  Abbott,  as 
she  pored  over  it  in  "Harper's  Magazine," 
left  with  her  a  romantic  interest  in  all  that 
concerns  the  French  Revolution,  and  the 
life  of  the  war-genius.  Illustrated  volumes 
of  Layard's  "Nineveh  and  its  Remains,"  and 
two  volumes  showing  pictures  of  ancient 
Egyptians,  enthralled  her  so  completely  and 
filled  her  with  such  a  thirst  for  antiquities, 
that,  now  that  she  is  a  woman,  the  mere 
sight  of  an  antique  vase  in  a  museum  con- 
jures up  in  her  mind  a  whole  ancient  civiliz- 
ation, in  the  contemplation  of  which  she 
loses  all  sense  of  time  and  place.  Stories  and 
descriptions  of  burial  mounds,  sepulchres, 
and  buried  cities  arouse  in  her  an  instant 
thrill  of  response  which  no  new  interest  can 
cause — and  all  this  magic  is  brought  about 
by  some  musty  tomes  once  used  as  picture- 
books. 

The  modern  book  of  travel,  illustrated 
with  the  regulation  photograph,  does  not 
serve  this  purpose.  It  is  the  book  that  is 
profusely  bepictured  with  woodcut  sketches. 


52,         The  Children's  Reading    ' 

•7, 

or  with  photographs  that  tell  a  story,  which 
a  child  enjoys.  If  parents  own  copies  of 
such  illustrated  books  as  the  Bible  illus- 
trated by  Dore,  Lane's  "Arabian  Nights," 
Wilkinson's  "Ancient  Egypt,"  Sven  He- 
din's  "  Through  Asia,"  or  Kennan's  "  Sibe- 
ria," they  would  do  well  to  let  their  children 
absorb  knowledge  from  the  pictures. 

PICTURE-BOOKS 

(For  other  books  of  pictures  see  Elasy  Reading,  page 
62;  also  History,  Biography,  and  Travel,  page  209.  For 
editions,  publishers,  and  prices,  see  Purchase  List  of  Child- 
ren's Books,  page  302.) 

Didactic  Picture-Books 

A,  Apple  Pie.  (Greenaway.) 

Alphabet  book  in  color,  with  pretty  verse. 

Baby's  Book  of  Trains  and  Ships. 

Oblong  book,  showing  colored  pictures  of  trains  and 
ships  of  France,  England,  Russia,  Canada,  etc. 

Book  of  Baby  Birds.  (Parker.) 

Charming  black  and  white  pictures  showing  baby 
birds  at  home  in  their  nests.   Very  lifelike. 

Children  of  Other  Days.  (Moore.) 

Full-page  pictures  showing  famous  royal  children, 
together  with  some  quaint  pictures  of  other  old- 
fashioned  noble  babies.  Accompanied  by  simple 
text. 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators     53 

Farm-Book.  (Smith.) 

Illustrated  in  color  by  E.  Boyd  Smith.  Tells  of 
modern  farm  life  as  seen  by  two  city  children. 
Includes  pictures  of  ploughing,  sowing,  reaping, 
churning,  feeding  chickens,  and  going  to  market. 

Hans  and  Little  Hilda.  (Jewett.) 

A  Christmas  secret  of  two  little  Dutch  children. 
Illustrated  in  color. 

Joan  of  Arc.  (Boutet  de  Monvel.) 

The  best  of  this  famous  French  illustrator's  books 
for  children.  Gives  in  colored  picture  and  simple 
text  the  life  of  the  Maid  of  Orleans. 

Little  Workers.  (Lowe.) 

Oblong  picture-book  showing,  in  colored  pictures, 
children  working  at  all  sorts  of  trades,  —  including 
printing,  basket-making,  dressmaking,  glass-blow- 
ing, etc. 

My.  Big  Book  of  Soldiers. 

Large  picture-book  with  colored  pictures  of  troops 
of  all  countries,  including  English,  German,  French, 
Japanese,  and  Chinese. 

Wee  Folk's  Alphabet.  (Hitch.) 

With  colored  illustrations. 

World  in  Pictures.  (Von  Wyss.) 

Contains  sixty-two  pictures,  thirty-two  of  which 
are  in  color;  depicting,  among  other  things,  desert 
life,  Indian  life,  oceans,  mountains,  and  volcanoes. 


54         The  Children's  Reading 

Domestic  Picture-Books 

Clean  Peter.  (Adelborg.) 

Pretty  picture-book  telling  of  Clean  Peter's  cfFortt 
to  reform  the  dirty  children  of  Grubbylea. 

Hausmutterchen.   (Bonn.) 

Oscar  Pletsch,  the  illustrator,  presents  with  sym- 
pathy the  charm  and  quaintness  of  German  peasant 
Hfe,  and  of  little  children's  plays.  A  good  picture- 
book  in  spite  of  its  German  text.  Some  other 
books  illustrated  by  Pletsch  arc  *'  Was  willst  du 
werden,"  and  "  Der  alte  Bekannte.'* 

Nos  Enfants.  (France.) 

Stories  of  French  children,  accompanied  by  colored 
pictures  by  Boutet  de  Monvel.  The  companion 
volume  to  this  is  Filles  et  Gar^ons.   French  text. 

Fanciful  and  Artistic  Picture-Books 

Baby's  Own  iEsop.  (Crane.) 

Artistically  illustrated  by  Walter  Crane. 

Bilberry  Wood.  (Dick.) 

Pretty,  fancifial  story  told  in  rhyme,  and  pictured 
in  color. 

Book  of  Gnomes.  (Weatherly.) 

Colored  pictures  of  fairies,  elves,  and  dwarft.  Fan- 
ciful and  popular  with  little  children. 

Cherry  Blossom.  (Grimm.) 

Illustrated  in  primary  colors  by  Helen  Stratton. 
Other  books  of  the  series  are  Hansel  and  Gretel, 
and  Roland  and  Maybird. 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    55 

Cruikshank  Fairy-Book. 

Four  old-fashioned  tales  illustrated  by  **  the  veteran" 
George  Cruikshank,  of  whom  Andrew  Lang  says: 
**He  indeed  may  justly  be  compared  to  Hogarth, 
since  in  tragic  power  and  intensity  he  occasionally 
comes  nearer  to  him  than  any  artist  of  our  time." 

JLa  Fontaine's  Fables.  (Boutet  de  Monvel.) 

Illustrated  by  the  editor.  Text  in  French,  but  the 
pictures  tell  the  tales  so  cleverly  that  they  do  not 
need  the  aid  of  text. 

Marigold  Garden.   (Greenaway.) 

Original  verses  and  delicate  colored  pictures  by 
Kate  Greenaway. 

Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin.  (Browning.) 

There  are  two  charming  editions  of  this  poem.  One 
artistically  illustrated  by  Kate  Greenaway,  and  the 
other  with  attractive  colored  pictures  by  Hope 
Dunlap. 

Under  the  Window.  (Greenaway.) 

The  most  popular  of  Kate  Greenaway's  books. 
Contains  quaint  colored  pictures  and  verses. 

Walter  Crane's  Picture-Books. 

Seven  cloth-bound  volumes  of  the  best  popular  nursery 
tales,  together  with  some  nursery  rhymes.  Illus- 
trated in  color,  warm  and  rich.  Published  also  in 
twenty-one  parts  in  paper  covers.  Austin  Dobson 
says  :  *•  Mr.  Walter  Crane  has  produced  specimens 
of  nursery  literature,  which,  for  refinement  of  col- 
oring and  beauty  of  ornament,  cannot  easily  be  sur- 
passed." 


56  The  Children's  Reading 

Humorous  Books 

Book  of  Cheerful  Cats.  (Francis.) 

Clever  line  drawings.   Very  popular  with  children. 

Brownie  Books.  (Cox.) 

Eight  volumes  of  fiin  and  frolic  of  Brownies  abroad 
and  at  home.  Some  of  the  titles  are,  "  Brownies, 
their  Boot,"  "Brownies  around  the  World," 
**  Brownies  through  the  Union,"  and  **  Brownie 
Clown  of  Brownietown. " 

Caldecott  Picture-Books. 

Four  volumes  of  delightful,  humorous  pictures  ac- 
companied by  famous  verse  and  rhyme.  Of  Calde- 
cott, Andrew  Lang  writes  :  **  There  is  a  spontaneity 
of  fun  and  unforced  invention  about  everything  he 
does.  Other  artists  draw  to  amuse  us;  Mr.  Calde- 
cott seems  to  draw  to  amuse  himself^  and  this  is 
his  charm." 

Careless  Jane.  (K.  Pyle.) 

Pictures  and  verses  telling  of  Georgie  Lie-a-bed, 
Boisterous  Ann,  Untidy  Amanda,  and  other  wicked 
children. 

Chicken  World.  (Smith.) 

Humorous  experiences  of  barnyard  fowls,  cleverly 
pictured  by  E.  Boyd  Smith. 

Goops  and  How  to  be  Them.  (Burgess.) 

«*  A  manual  of  manners  for  polite  infants."  Gro- 
tesque picture-book  much  enjoyed  by  children. 

Johnny  Crow's  Garden.  (Brooke.) 

An  old  nonery   rhyme  illustrated   by  L.    Leslie 


Picture  Books  and  Illustrators    57 

.  1 

Brooke.   Contains  eight  fiill-page  pictures  in  cofef,  fr 
and   many   black-and-white  drawings.    The  com- 
panion volume  is  **  Johnny  Crow's  Party.' 

Slovenly  Peter.  (Hoffmann.) 

The  well-known  picture-book  with  rhymes  telling 
of  the  dire  punishments  that  befell  naughty  boys  and 
girls.  Illustrated  in  crude  primary  colors.  Popular 
with  children. 

Topsys  and  Turvys.  (Newell.) 

Pictures  which,  whether  held  up  side  down  or 
right  side  up,  always  tell  a  funny  story.  ^ 

(Linen  and  indestructible  picture-books  are  published  by 
Button,  McLoughlin,  and  Warne.  They  cost  from  five  cents 
apiece  up,  according  to  quality  of  coloring  and  drawing,  and 
the  material  on  which  the  book  is  printed.  Some  of  the  sub- 
jects covered  are  :  form  and  country  life,  animals  wild  or 
domestic,  railways,  circuses,  ships,  aeroplanes,  automobiles, 
zoos,  and  play  life  and  fairy-tales.) 


CHAPTER  VI 

EASY   READING 

r 

**The  earliest  reading  is  the  story, — simple,  shorty 
straightfomvard  recitals  of  matters  of  daily  occurrence,  of  the 
doings  of  children,  and  their  parents,  their  friends  or  pets. 
.  .  .  Afresh  pure  book  for  a  little  child  is  a  treasure  to  be 
sought  for  and  appreciated.""  — Baldwin. 

THE  first  reading-books  given  a  child 
should  be  those  that  combine  the  best 
picture-book  qualities  with  stories  and  verses 
that  maybe  read  aloud  to  him.  Among  the 
finest  books  of  this  kind  are  "  Mother  Goose 
Melodies,"  edited  by  Wheeler,  with  charm- 
ing old  woodcuts,  or  the  edition  edited  by 
Andrew  Lang,  with  many  pictures  by  L. 
Leslie  Brooke ;  the  "  Book  of  Fables,"  edited 
by  Scudder,  also  embellished  with  woodcuts; 
Stevenson's  "  Child's  Garden  of  Verses,"  il- 
lustrated in  color  by  Squire  and  Mars; 
"The  House  in  the  Wood,"  and  "The 
Golden  Goose  Book,"  with  Brooke's  hu- 
morous, delightful,  colored  prints ;  and  "  The 


Easy  Reading  59 

Runaway  Donkey,"  and  "Through  the 
Farmyard  Gate,"  by  Poulsson.  These  books 
should  be  followed  by  primers,  and  readers, 
and  simple  stories,  and  verse,  all  of  which 
serve  a  different  educational  purpose  from 
that  of  the  picture-book.  They  compose  the 
bridge,  so  to  speak,  which  leads  from  the  land 
of  picture-books  to  that  of  the  story-telling 
text.  For  easy  books  for  personal  reading 
foster  the  beginning  of  the  reading  habit. 

There  are  two  ways  for  a  child  to  learn 
to  read.  First,  mechanically  by  the  means 
of  some  set  teaching  method.  This  he  does 
more  or  less  self-consciously,  pronouncing 
each  word  aloud  or  to  himself  As  long  as 
a  child  is  conscious  of  the  act  of  reading, 
his  thought  and  fancy  have  no  freedom,  and 
he  draws  no  real  inner  enjoyment  from  the 
story  as  a  whole.  The  other  way  of  reading 
is  an  instantaneous,  unconscious  absorption 
of  the  meanings  of  the  words  on  a  page,  with- 
out mentally  translating  them  into  sounds. 
This  ease  in  reading  is  gained  the  quickest 
by  the  child  who  is  encouraged  to  read  to 
himself  from  the  time  that  he  knows  his 


6o         The  Children's  Reading 

alphabet  and  a  few  printed  words.  Thus  by 
the  means  of  easy  books  he  learns  rapidly 
from  the  context,  increases  his  vocabulary 
and  his  understanding  of  phrases ;  all  through 
the  same  natural  method  by  which  he  learned 
to  speak. 

The  writer  was  once  deeply  impressed  by 
the  effect  of  mechanical  classroom  reading  on 
children  who  had  few  or  no  books  at  home. 
She  organized  a  children's  library  in  a  dis- 
trict of  poor  foreigners.  The  children  at- 
tended the  public  and  parochial  schools  of 
the  neighborhood.  For  the  first  few  days 
after  the  opening  of  the  library  the  librarian 
heard  a  low,  steady  buzz  of  voices  all  over 
the  reading-room.  The  children  were  or- 
derly, and  individually  absorbed  in  a  book, 
but  they  were  painfully  reading  aloud  to 
themselves.  They  continued  to  use  the 
reading-room  daily,  and  to  take  home  the 
books  provided  —  which  were  the  best  of 
"juveniles,"  illustrated  and  attractive.  The 
most  popular  easy  books,  picture-books,  and 
fairy-tales  were  duplicated  generously.  After 
a  week   or  so   the  buzzing  sound    disap- 


Easy  Reading  6i 

peared  from  the  room  and  the  children  settled 
down  to  quiet,  steady  enjoyment,  unhamp- 
ered by  selfcionsciousness. 

In  the  same  way  parents  from  the  first 
may  make  home  reading  an  ease  and  a  de- 
light, and  encourage  the  children  to  better 
and  more  advanced  reading  by  providing 
the  best  of  attractive  primers,  readers,  and 
other  simple  books,  well  illustrated. 

Books  for  this  period  of  childhood  have 
necessarily  little  or  no  literary  quality,  but 
those  selected  should  consult  children's  inter- 
ests, and  be  written  in  grammatically  correct, 
simple  language,  and  be  printed  in  large 
type,  and  illustrated  with  the  kind  of  pic- 
tures that  attract  little  children.  Dramatic  in- 
cident, much  objective  conversation,  and 
short,  snappy  stories  are  the  most  popular. 

The  market  is  flooded  with  graded  text- 
books of  all  kinds,  compiled  and  arranged 
by  recognized  pedagogues.  The  primers 
and  readers  are  so  planned  that  one  selec- 
tion leads  to  another,  the  vocabulary  grow- 
ing increasingly  difficult ;  thus  a  child  is  led 
step  by  step  to  more  advanced  reading. 


62  The  Children's  Reading 

As  it  is  impossible  in  the  following  list 
to  include  all  the  good  text-books,  a  selec- 
tion is  here  made  of  those  primers,  readers 
and  simple  books  that  are  varied  in  subject 
and  do  not  look  like  school-books.  The 
covers  of  many  are  very  attractive,  and  the 
illustrations  will  make  a  child  desire  to  read 
and  enjoy  the  pictured  stories. 

BOOKS  FOR   EASY   READING 

(For  more  advanced  easy  reading  see  the  chapter  on 
Fables,  Myths  and  Fairy-Tales,  page  68  ;  and  also  Fiction 
of  To-day,  page  185.  For  editions,  publishers,  and  prices, 
see  Purchase  List  of  Children's  Books,  page  302.) 

Readers  and  Primers 

Advanced  First  Reader.  (Cyr.) 

An  art  reader,  illustrated  with  reproductions  of 
paintings,  selected  to  please  little  children,  and  ac- 
companied by  simple  text. 

Child    Life,  Primer  and  Readers    i,    2,  and  3. 
(Blaisdell.) 

Illustrated  with  colored  pictures.  The  second  reader 
shows  child  life  in  tale  and  fable,  and  the  third 
reader,  child  life  in  many  lands  and  in  other  days. 

Hiawatha  Primer.  (Holbrook.) 

Based  on  Longfellow's  poem.  Simple  language,  col- 
ored pictures.    Popular  with  little  children. 


Easy  Reading  6^ 

Lessons  for  Beginners  in  Reading.  (Bass.) 

For  little  children  who  are  learning  to  spell  out 
words.  Short  sentences,  large  print;  tells  about 
flowers,  nuts,  seeds,  etc.  Colored  pictures,  cover 
very  attractive  to  little  folk. 

Nature  Myths.  (Holbrook.) 

About  animals,  birds,  and  natural  objects.  Told 
most  interestingly.  Vocabulary  varied,  style  good. 
To  follow  The  Hiawatha  Primer. 

Riverside  Primer  and  Readers  i,  2,  and  3.  (Van 
Sickle  and  Seegmiller.) 

Series  of  readers  covering  a  wide  and  original  selec- 
tion of  stories  and  poems.  Cover  attractive  and 
illustrations  printed  in  color.   Binding,  strong  and 

durable. 

Sunbonnet  Babies'  Book.  (Grover.) 

Tells  of  the  doings  of  Molly  and  May,  two  sun- 
bonnet  babies.  Charmingly  illustrated  in  color,  fan- 
ciful and  pleasing.  Very  popular.  Also  published 
under  title  Sunbonnet  Babies'  Primer. 

The  First  Book.   (Speight  and  Thomson.) 

Nursery  rhymes,  folk-songs  with  music,  fables, 
myths,  and  fairy-tales. 

Stories^  Legends^  and  Folk-Tales 
Book  of  Fables.  (Scudder.) 

Chiefly  from  iEsop,  and  illustrated  with  woodcuts. 
The  fables  are  rendered  in  excellent  simple  lan- 
guage, and  follow  closely  their  originals. 


64         The  Children's  Reading 

Book  of  Folk-Stories.  (Scudder.) 

Partial  contents  :  Chicken  Licken,  The  Old  Woman 
and  Her  Pig,  The  Three  Bears,  Hans  in  Luck, 
Cinderella,  Beauty  and  the  Beast,  Jack  and  the  Bean 
Stalk,  Little  Red  Riding  Hood.  Written  in  a  sim- 
ple, direct  fashion,  very  pleasing  to  litde  children. 

Book  of  Legends.  (Scudder.) 

Among  other  things  contains  the  stories  of  St. 
George  and  the  Dragon,  The  Bell  of  Justice,  Will- 
iam Tell,  The  Seven  Sleepers  of  Ephesus.  Printed 
in  large  type. 

Cock,  the  Mouse,  and  the  Little  Red  Hen.  (Le- 
fevre.) 

An  old  folk-tale  retold.  Illustrated  in  color  by  Tony 
Sarg.   One  of  the  best  liked  of  litde  children's  books. 

Fifty  Famous  Stories  Retold.  (Baldwin.) 

Supplements  Scudder* s  Book  of  Legends.  Contains 
among  other  things  the  story  of  King  Alfred  and  the 
Cakes,  Robin  Hood,  Bruce  and  the  Spider,  Damon 
and  Pythias,  The  Black  Douglas,  Cornelia's  Jewels, 
and  many  other  stories  met  with  in  literature.  Well 
written  and  illustrated. 

Golden  Goose  Book.  (Brooke.) 

Contains  the  old  stories  of  The  Three  Little  Pigs, 
Tom  Thumb,  The  Three  Bears,  and  The  Golden 
Goose.  Retold  with  folk-spirit,  and  humorously 
decorated  in  black  and  white  and  with  colored  plates 
by  L.  Leslie  Brooke. 

Goody  Two  Shoes. 

This  classic,  attributed  to  Goldsmith,  is  here  ed- 
ited by  Charles  Welsh.   The  story  may  be  found 


Easy  Reading  65 

also  in  one  of  Walter  Crane's  picture-books,  beau- 
tifully illustrated  in  color. 

House  in  the  Wood.  (Brooke.) 

Contains  nine  other  wonder  tales  about  goblins,  talk- 
ing animals,  magic  gifts,  and  other  marvels.  Humor- 
ous, and  illustrated  by  the  editor  with  charming  col- 
ored pictures. 

Little  Black  Sambo.  (Bannerman.) 

A  popular  picture-book  with  story.  Not  artistic, 
but  delightful  to  little  children  because  of  its  humor 
and  the  primary  coloring  of  the  illustrations. 

Little  Girl  Blue.  (Gates.) 

Who  lived  in  the  woods  until  she  learned  to  say 
"  please."  A  little  gift-book  with  charmmg pictures 
and  pretty  story. 

Mother  Goose  Village.  (Bigham.) 

Original  stories  founded  on  Mother  Goose  rhymes. 
About  Little  Polly  Flinder's  Apron,  Tommy  Grace's 
Party,  Simple  Simon's  Silken  Coat,  and  about  other 
Mother  Goose  children.  Large  print  and  many  col- 
ored pictures. 

New  Baby  World.  (Dodge.) 

Stories  and  rhymes  from  St.  Nicholas.  Fully  illus- 
trated.  Cover  attractive. 

Peter  Rabbit.  (Potter.) 

A  tiny  gift-book,  with  easy  reading  and  colored  pict- 
ures. Belongs  to  a  popular  series;  some  of  the  other 
volumes  are  Benjamin  Bunny,  The  Tailor  of  Glouces- 
ter, and  Mrs.  Tiggy- Winkle. 

Tales  of  Mother  Goose.  (Perrault.) 

Cinderella,  Sleeping  Beauty,  Red  Riding  Hood  and 


66  The  Children's  Reading 

others,  as  collected  by  Charles  Perrault,  in  1696. 
Translated  by  Welsh. 

Poetry  and  Rhyme 

Child's  Garden  of  Verses.  (Stevenson.) 

Illustrated  by  Squire  and  Mars  with  pen  and  ink 
drawings  and  ten  full-page  pictures  in  color. 

Mother  Goose  Melodies. 

There  are  three  good  edidons  of  this  nursery  classic: 
one  edited  by  Wheeler,  with  charming  old-fash- 
ioned woodcuts;  another,  with  title  The  Nursery 
Rhyme  Book,  edited  and  arranged  by  Andrew 
Lang,  and  delightfully  illustrated  by  L.  Leslie 
Brooke;  and  suU  another,  with  small  colored  pic- 
tures published  in  the  "  Told  to  Children  Series." 

Pinafore  Palace.  (Wiggin  and  Smith.) 

A  collection  of  short  rhymes  and  nonsense  verses 
from  Mother  Goose,  Lear,  Field,  Riley,  Steven- 
son, and  others. 

Songs  and  Rhymes  for  the  Little  Ones.  (Mor- 
rison.) 

A  homely,  old-fashioned  collection  of  the  verses  and 
rhymes  that  little  children  love.  A  cheaper  but  good 
collection  is  compiled  by  Shute,  in  3  volumes, 
and  called  The  Land  of  Song.  Volume  I  contains 
rhymes  for  little  children. 

The  Runaway  Donkey.  (Poulsson.) 

Rhymes  about  animals.   Fully  illustrated. 

Through  the  Farmyard  Gate.  (Poulsson.) 

Rhymes  and  stories  about  animals.  Well  illustrated, 
and  printed  in  large  type.  Companion  volume  to 
The  Runaway  Donkey. 


Easy  Reading  67 

Books  of  Information 

Aunt  Louisa's  Book  of  Common  Things.  (Valen- 
tine.) 

A  fairy-story  explaining  how  wheat,  grapes,  flax, 
and  other  things  grow,  and  how  they  are  made  use- 
fiil.   Many  pictures,  large  print. 

Eskimo  Stories.  (Smith.) 

Sports  of  little  Eskimos,  and  what  the  children  eat 
and  wear.   Told  in  large  print  with  many  pictures. 

Friends  and  Helpers.  (Eddy.) 

A  popular  litde  book  of  short  stories  and  rhymes 
about  animals,  birds,  and  insects.   Many  pictures. 

Little  Folk  of  Many  Lands.  (Chance.) 

About  Indian,  Eskimo,  Dutch,  African,  Arabian, 
Filipino,  and  Japanese  children.   Illustrated. 

Seed-Babies.  (Morley.) 

The  seeds  of  beans,  peanuts,  melons,  and  other 
plants  talk  to  a  child  and  tell  how  they  grow.  Ele- 
mentary. Large  print,  with  pictures.  Text-book 
cover. 

Snow  Baby.    (Peary.) 

Mrs.  Peary's  little  girl  was  born  in  the  North,  and 
this  story  tells  oi  the  Eskimos  she  lived  among.  Il- 
lustrated with  photographs  of  the  Arctic  regions. 

The  Dutch  Twins.  (Perkins.) 

Story  of  the  doings  of  little  Kat  and  Kit.  Illustrated 
with  drawings  of  Dutch  children  in  costume.  Large 
print. 


CHAPTER  VII 

FABLES,   MYTHS,  AND  FAIRY  TALES 

**  Imagination  is  the  faculty  that  brings  the  soul  into  most 
immediate  contact  nvith  ideas,  feelings,  or  objects,  and  nuitb 
other  minds  or  beings.'"''  — Curry. 

*<  Through  imaginative  literature  abstract  truths  are 
made  to  ha've  for  the  child  a  reality  luhich  is  given  to  them 
by  the  experiences  of  daily  life  only  by  the  slowest  degrees.''^ 
—  Bates. 

I  DO  not  like  to  read  lies  to  my  child,"  is 
the  verdict  of  many  a  mother.  "  I  give 
him  only  histories,  biographies,  and  useful 
books."  She  does  not  know,  this  really  ear- 
nest mother,  that  she  is  shutting  the  door  of 
her  child's  imagination,  and  that  she  may 
be  hampering  his  power  to  do  great  things 
in  after  life,  by  thus  closing  to  him  the 
storehouse  of  imaginative  literature.  For 
later  he  will  not  be  able  to  draw  full  suste- 
nance from  classic  writings  unless  he  has  been 
fed  in  youth  on  the  best  of  folk-literature. 
The  action  of  the  picture-making  power 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     69 

of  the  mind — the  imagination  —  is  a  part 
of  almost  every  mental  process.  The  act  of 
memory  calls  up  mental  pictures,  the  act  of 
fancy  re-creates  a  world,  invention,  writing, 
painting,  and  conceiving  a  scientific  theory 
are  aided  by  the  creative  imagination.  And, 
what  is  more,  the  sympathetic  feelings,  of 
charity,  compassion,  and  the  power  to  put 
one's  self  in  the  place  of  another,  are  de- 
pendent on  the  movement  of  the  same 
faculty. 

Tyndall  gives  most  impressive  testimony 
to  the  value  of  the  applied  use  of  the  imag- 
ination. "  There  are  Tories,"  he  writes, "  even 
in  science,  who  regard  imagination  as  a  fac- 
ulty to  be  feared  and  avoided  rather  than 
employed.  They  have  observed  its  action  in 
weak  vessels,  and  are  unduly  impressed  with 
its  disasters.  But  they  might  with  equal  jus- 
tice point  to  exploded  boilers  as  an  argu- 
ment against  the  use  of  steam.  With  accu- 
rate experiment  and  observation  to  work 
upon,  imagination  becomes  the  architect  of 
physical  theory.  Newton's  passage  from  a 
falling  apple  to  a  falling  moon,  was  an  act 


yo         The  Children's  Reading 

of  the  prepared  imagination,  without  which 
the  laws  of  Kepler  could  never  have  been 
traced  to  their  foundations.  Out  of  the  facts 
of  chemistry  the  constructive  imagination  of 
Dalton  formed  the  atomic  theory.  Davy  was 
richly  endowed  with  the  imaginative  faculty, 
while  with  Faraday  its  exercise  was  inces- 
sant, preceding,  accompanying,  and  guiding 
all  his  experiments.  His  strength  and  fer- 
tility as  a  discoverer  is  to  be  referred  in  great 
part  to  the  stimulus  of  his  imagination." 

Thus  imagination  is  a  most  powerful  fac- 
tor in  daily  life,  and  to  develop  in  the  individ- 
ual a  wholesome  and  rich  imagination,  and  to 
correlate  it  with  the  reason,  is  of  utmost  im- 
portance. This  can  be  best  accomplished  in 
childhood.  For  the  didactic  faculty  —  the 
reason — is  dormant  in  a  child,  and  the  fac- 
ulty of  pure  enjoyment  —  the  imagination 
—  is  predominant,  and  is  the  open  door  to 
his  mind.  Through  it  enters  a  constant  pro- 
cession of  mental  pictures,  each  making  an 
impression  on  the  plastic  brain,  where  they 
are  stored  away  until  the  day  comes  when 
the  mind,  at  will,  recalls  the  images  and  with 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     71 

them  recombines   and   forms   original   de- 
signs. 

One  of  the  surest  means  of  educating  the 
imagination  is  through  the  judicious  use  of 
the  best  literature  which  will  enrich  and 
stimulate  the  picture-making  faculty.  Let 
us  now  see  how  fables,  myths,  folk  and 
wonder  tales  will  aid  this  development. 

Folk-literature  conserves  the  accumu- , 
lating  mass  of  spontaneous,  unscientific 
thought,  feelings,  beliefs,  fancies,  traditions, 
distortions,  superstitions,  and  ethical  teach- 
ings of  the  common  people  of  all  races.  It 
has  no  known  authors,  but,  like  an  ava- 
lanche, it  gathers  into  itself,  age  by  age,  all 
that  lies  in  its  path  of  the  natural  mental 
products  of  the  human  race.  In  treatment 
it  is  imaginative,  and  objective  —  in  fact, 
childlike.  It  has,  however,  a  two-fold  nature. 
It  teaches,  on  the  one  hand,  simple  truths 
and  morals,  put  in  a  way  that  appeals  di- 
rectly to  children ;  it  also  shows  the  distinc- 
tion between  elemental  good  and  evil;  and  / 
that  retribution  follows  sin ;  and  it  empha-  / 
sizes  the  majesty  or  beauty  of  nature.  While 


72         The  Children's  Reading 

on  the  other  hand,  there  runs  throughout 
folk-Hterature  a  strain  of  illogicality,  and  im- 
morality— called  by  some  folk-lorists  the 
irrational — which  contradicts  the  ethical 
teachings.  But  when  this  illogical,  irrational 
element  is  eliminated,  there  yet  remains  a 
vast  body  of  folk-Hterature,  rich  in  those 
qualities  that  build  up  and  stimulate  the 
imagination,  and  inculcate  simple  virtues 
within  the  understanding  of  children. 

Folk-literature  for  children  divides  itself 
roughly  into  seven  groups:  fables,  pure 
myths,  hero-myths,  place-legends,  fairy-lore, 
nursery  tales  and  rhymes,  and  hero-romances. 
The  rhymes  and  romances  will  be  discussed 
in  another  chapter. 

The  beast-fable  appears  to  be  one  of  the 
earliest  forms  of  story-telling  among  all  peo- 
ples. The  savage  races  use  it  as  a  means  of 
teaching  mythical  tribal  history,  as  well  as 
for  entertainment.  The  savage  beast-fable 
and  short  story  of  Africa  and  Australia  are 
of  a  low  order  of  imagination,  distorted,  and 
full  of  deceit,  lying,  and  brutality,  presented 
in  such  a  way  that  children  cannot  fail.to  de- 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     73 

rive  wrong  ethical  ideas  therefrom ;  whereas 
the  Hindus,  Greeks,  and  other  Indo-Ger- 
manic  peoples  have  turned  the  beast-fable 
into  a  vehicle  for  the  teaching  of  homely 
virtues  and  worldly  wisdom  of  a  practical 
kind.  Many  of  these  fables  have  become  an 
integral  part  of  our  literature,  and  if  for  no 
other  reason  children  should  be  made  fami- 
liar with  them.  They  have,  however,  a  spe- 
cial mission  in  the  ethical  education  of  chil- 
dren. They  not  only  please  the  fancy,  but 
they  satisfy  a  young  child's  craving  for  short, 
objective,  moral  tales,  and  they  inculcate 
such  virtues  as  prudence,  foresight,  honesty, 
and  homely  wisdom.  Fables  that  teach  re- 
venge, and  overcoming  by  the  means  of 
craft,  should  be  rejected  from  books  for  chil- 
dren. Some  of  the  best  ^sopic  fables  to  tell 
or  read  are  "  Belling  the  Cat,"  "  The  Dog  in 
the  Manger,"  "  The  Lion  and  the  Mouse," 
"The  Shepherd  Boy  and  the  Wolf,"  and 
"  The  Town  and  Country  Mouse." 

Pure  myths  had  their  origin  in  primitive 
man's  interpretation  of  nature.  The  rising 
and  setting  of  the  sun,  the  return  of  spring 


74         The  Children's  Reading 

after  the  winter,  the  stars  in  the  heavens,  the 
storms  and  the  winds  and  the  loud-sound- 
ing Ocean,  all  filled  him  with  wonderment 
and  awe.  He  expressed  his  understanding 
of  natural  phenomena  in  poetic  imagery  and 
language,  which  came,  in  time,  to  be  be- 
lieved as  religion.  The  first  form  of  myth, 
says  Ruskin,  "  contains  the  germ  of  accom- 
plished tradition ;  but  only  as  the  seed  con- 
tains the  flower.  As  the  intelligence  and  pas- 
sion of  the  race  develop,  they  cling  to  and 
nourish  their  beloved  and  sacred  legend; 
leaf  by  leaf  it  expands  under  the  touch  of 
pure  affections,  and  more  delicate  imagina- 
tion, until  at  last  the  perfect  fable  bourgeons 
out  into  symmetry  of  milky  stem  and  honied 
bell." 

Of  such  myths  the  best  types  are  found 
in  Greek  mythology.  Harmony,  poetic  feel- 
ing for  the  beauties  of  nature,  personifica- 
tion of  the.  gentle  and  tender  side  of  nature 
make  this  mythology  enjoyable  to  little 
children,  who  love  stories  of  flowers,  trees, 
and  living  things,  fountains,  and  sudden 
transformations;   of  such   stories   the   best 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     75 

types  are  Arachne,  Daphne,  Arethusa,  Echo 
and  Narcissus,  Phaethon,  PygmaHon  and 
Galatea,  and  Proserpine.  Each  Greek  myth 
is  complete  in  itself,  and  is  not  dependent 
on  another  tale  to  show  forth  an  inner  mean- 
ing. This  again  makes  the  Greek  myth  pe- 
culiarly applicable  to  little  children  who 
desire  a  complete  story  in  a  few  words. 

Thus,  as  each  Greek  myth  is  gracefully 
complete  in  itself,  and  usually  presents  an 
aesthetic  idea  in  poetic  form ;  so,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  Norse  myth  is  a  part  of  a  compli- 
cated system  of  creation,  according  to  Ger- 
manic tradition.  Its  gods  are  personifica- 
tions of  the  stupendous,  awe-inspiring  natural 
phenomena  of  the  North.  The  cold  "  long 
nights  "  followed  by  brief  hot  summers,  and 
the  struggle  for  existence  in  the  face  of  vio- 
lent elements,  have  left  their  impress  on  the 
mythological  system  of  the  people.  The 
thunder  of  the  storm  on  the  mountains,  the 
rush  of  the  avalanche,  the  beat  of  seas  on 
rocky  coasts,  the  lapping  of  the  waves  of 
the  fiords,  the  mysterious  play  of  the  North- 
ern lights,  have  united  in  producing  a  vigor- 


76  The  Children's  Reading 

ous,  epic-like  mythology,  replete  with  manly 
courage  and  stalwart  virtues,  but  permeated 
with  a  mystic  melancholy,  so  characteristic 
of  the  people  of  the  North ;  of  whom  Car- 
lyle  says:  "I  feel  that  these  old  Northmen 
were  looking  into  nature  with  open  eye  and 
soul;  most  earnest,  honest,  childlike;  and 
yet  manlike ;  with  a  great-hearted  simplicity 
and  depth  and  freshness,  in  a  true,  loving, 
admiring,  unfearing  way.  A  right  valiant, 
true  old  race  of  men." 

These  Norse  myths  have,  therefore,  a  posi- 
tive mission  in  the  education  of  Anglo- 
Saxon-thinking  children.  Stripped  of  their 
grosser  parts,  the  myths  present  a  united 
group  of  tales  emphasizing  Germanic  ideas 
of  unity,  individual  liberty,  of  right  and 
wrong,  of  courage  and  manliness.  These 
qualities  are  drawn  with  strong  strokes,  and 
painted  in  contrasting  colors ;  virtue  is  virtue, 
badness  is  badness,  there  are  no  shades  of 
coloring.  The  stories  please  the  wonder-lov- 
ing children  because  they  tell  of  the  adven- 
tures of  gods  and  goddesses,  and  of  frost- 
giants,  light-elves,  and  elves  of  darkness,  of 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     77 

trolls,  and  hideous  monsters,  as  well  as  of 
mighty  heroes  and  splendid  women. 

Another  mythology  that  has  a  place  in 
the  education  of  children  is  that  of  the 
American  Indian.  It  breathes  of  the  nature 
of  the  wild  woods;  it  is  reverent  and  mys- 
tical. On  the  other  hand,  it  is  in  part  fierce, 
illogical,  confused;  especially  so  when  re- 
lating the  origin  of  tribes  and  families.  Very 
little  satisfactory  work  has  been  done  in  ren- 
dering these  tales  for  children.  Longfellow's 
"Hiawatha  "still  occupies  the  important  place 
of  presenting  in  the  best  form,  though  ideal- 
ized, the  poetic  side  of  Indian  mythology. 

There  are  many  other  mythologies,  but 
none  that  offers,  as  far  as  the  writer  knows, 
such  concrete  educational  characteristics  as 
do  the  Greek,  Old  Norse,  and  Red  Indian. 

We  may  now  pass  on  to  the  brief  con- 
sideration of  the  hero-myth.  The  Norse 
mythology  is  a  combination  of  pure  myth 
and  hero-worship,  probably  founded  upon 
the  historic  traditions  of  tribal  heroes,  as 
well  as  on  nature-worship.  The  story  of  Si- 
gurd the  Volsung's  son  will  be  considered 


78  The  Children's  Reading 

later  in  the  chapter  on  "  Ballads,  Epics,  and 
Romances."  The  Greeks  were  rich  in  hero- 
stories,  such  as  those  of  Hercules  and  of 
Theseus,  Perseus  and  Jason.  The  adventures 
of  the  last  three  heroes  are  delightfully  told 
for  children  by  Hawthorne  in  his  graceful, 
iaimitable  style;  while  Kingsley  has  treated 
the  same  tales  with  a  nearer  approach  to 
their  classical  originals. 

The  place-legend  is  an  imaginative  acces- 
sory to  history,  and  is  the  outcome  of  the 
fancy  and  superstition  of  the  common  peo- 
ple, who  weave  fearsome  or  poetic  tales  about 
their  local  towns,  castles,  rocks,  mountains, 
trees,  or  abandoned  houses,  and  other  ob- 
jects. Of  this  class  are  the  tales  of  William 
Tell,  Rip  Van  Winkle,  the  Lorelei,  Ulysses's 
sirens,  Tannhauser,  and  many  other  tales, 
some  of  which  deal  with  ghosts,  banshees, 
wild  huntsmen,  and  other  morbid  super- 
stitions not  wholesome  for  all  children. 

Fairy-lore  is  largely  the  product  of  the 
Celtic  mind,  which  is  fanciful  and  poetic. 
The  best  stories  of  this  kind  may  be  found 
in    English,    Scottish,  and    Irish   folk-lore. 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     79 

They  deal  with  the  doings  of  "the  little 
people,"  with  fairy-rings,  moonlight  dances, 
enchanted  mountains,  changelings,  maidens 
and  youths  decoyed  to  Fairy-Land,  and  with 
imps  and  elves  that  "give  pinches,  nips,  and 
bobs  "  to  bad  folk,  and  with  King  Oberon, 
Queen  Titania,  and  merry,  freakish  Robin 
Goodfellow. 

We  pass  now  to  the  ever  popular  nursery 
tale  —  the  myth  or  folk-tale  recast  and  told 
by  "  old  gammers  "  to  the  little  ones.  Here 
appear  classic  myths  in  new  garments,  Cu- 
pid and  Psyche  masquerading  as  Beauty 
and  the  Beast,  and,  in  the  Scandinavian  ver- 
sion, as  the  maiden  and  the  "great  big  white 
bear "  of  East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the 
Moon;  while  Orpheus  and  Eurydice  reap- 
pear in  the  land  of  the  Red  Indian,  where 
the  bereaved  husband  follows  his  Indian 
wife  to  the  Land  of  Souls.  The  Valkyrie, 
Brynhild,  aroused  by  Sigurd  from  her  sleep- 
thorn  slumber,  is  transformed  in  the  nursery 
into  the  Sleeping  Beauty  waking  at  the  kiss  of 
"  a  fairy  prince,  with  joyful  eyes,  and  lighter- 
footed  than  the  fox."  The  Barbe  Bleue  of 


8o         The  Children's  Reading 

the  Breton  place-legend  becomes  Blue  Beard; 
and  a  possible  Cornish  hero  in  the  wars  with 
the  Romans,  invades  the  nursery  as  Jack  the 
Giant  Killer;  and,  with  a  lack  of  dignity 
not  to  be  explained  by  the  scale  of  divine 
ascension  to  the  Buddhaship,  Buddha  trans- 
migrates from  the  son  of  King  Brahmadatta, 
and  reappears  in  Brer  Rabbit,  and  the  De- 
mon with  the  Matted  Hair  becomes  the 
wonderful  Tar  Baby. 

Cinderella  teaches  the  reward  of  modesty 
and  humility,  as  do  a  host  of  other  nursery 
tales ;  Toads  and  Diamonds,  the  reward  of 
charity  and  a  kind  heart;  Faithful  John, 
friendship  and  loyalty  even  unto  death ;  and 
the  Little  House  in  the  Wood,  kindness  to 
animals.  Accumulative  tales  satisfy  the  ear 
as  well  as  the  fancy,  and  the  "  drolls "  and 
grotesque  tales  are  a  never  ending  source  of 
delight. 

Unfortunately,  many  nursery  tales  in- 
cluded in  collections  for  children  present 
perverted  ideas  of  right,  the  themes  of 
which  are  success  by  craft,  lying,  and  theft ; 
and  they  also  justify  ingratitude,  disloyalty. 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     8i 

and  irreverence.  These  stories  should  be 
cast  out  of  collections  for  children.  Even 
some  of  the  ancients  did  not  believe  in  telling 
or  reading  to  little  ones  such  irrational  tales. 
Such  stories,  says  Plato,  "ought  not  to 
be  lightly  told  to  young  and  simple  per- 
sons. .  .  .  Poets  and  story-tellers  make  the 
gravest  misstatements  about  men  when  they 
say  that  many  wicked  men  are  happy,  and 
good  men  miserable;  and  we  shall  forbid 
them  to  utter  such  things." 
#^  Nursery  tales  need  careful  editing.  But 
there  is  no  more  delicate  task  than  to  handle 
folk-literature  with  the  respect  that  will  pre- 
serve for  the  children  its  directness  of  ap- 
peal, its  colloquial  language,  its  humor  and 
grotesqueness,  the  swift  action  of  plots,  the 
rewards  and  retributions  that  are  dealt  out, 
without  moralizing^  and,  what  is  more,  the 
destruction,  swift  and  awful,  which  over- 
takes ravenous  dragons,  evil  witches  and 
trolls,  and  fearsome  ogres  and  giants.  Fine 
examples  of  this  folk-treatment  in  render- 
ing nursery  tales  may  be  found  in  any  good 
translation  of  Grimm,  also  in  Joseph  Jacobs's 


82         The  Children's  Reading 

volumes  of  fairy  tales,  and  in  Ernest  Rhys's 
"Fairy-Gold." 

Some  editors,  in  their  over-zeal  to  make 
folk-tales  mediums  of  moral  instruction,  lose 
their  own  sense  of  humor  and  their  perspec- 
tive. An  example  of  this  treatment  may  be 
found  in  a  certain  version  of  "  The  Three 
Bears"  —  the  little  tale  attributed  to  Southey, 
but  which  has  become  a  part  of  nursery  litera- 
ture. The  editor  adds  a  good  deal  of  senti- 
mental detail  not  included  in  the  accepted 
version.  She  interlards  her  tale  with  remarks 
like  the  following:  "That  is  the  polite  way 
children  talk  to  animals.  Animals  like  it." 
"  Where  were  the  bears  all  this  time  that 
they  did  not  come  in  to  shake  hands  with 
their  little  visitor?"  and  at  that  dramatic 
moment  —  which  every  child  awaits  with 
breathless  suspense  —  when  the  little  bear 
discovers  Goldilocks  asleep  in  his  bed,  the 
little  bear  of  this  version  laughs,  and  strokes 
the  child's  golden  hair,  chivalrously  offering 
his  paw  to  help  her  rise,  while  the  great, 
huge  bear  hides  his  paws  behind  him,  "so 
the  child  should  not  be  scared."  "  I  beg  your 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     83 

pardon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bear,"  says  the  polite 
child,  "  I  will  never  do  so  again,"  and  dis- 
tributing checkerberries,  she  invites  the  bears 
to  call  upon  her,  then  runs  home. 

And  what  does  any  child  get  from  such  a 
mawkish  tale  —  from  which  all  the  vigor  of 
the  original  has  been  stripped  ^  Where  is  the 
little  listener's  blissful  anticipation  of  the  fi- 
nal sympathetic  thrill  at  the  end  —  to  which 
the  whole  story  leads  up  ?  *'  Somebody  has 
been  lying  in  my  bed,"  cries  the  little  bear; 
"  And  here  she  is  I !  "  And  Goldilocks  wakes 
in  fright,  jumps  out  the  open  window,  and 
runs  home  as  fast  as  her  legs  can  carry  her. 
And,  what  is  more,  where  is  the  editor's 
sense  of  humor,  when  she  can  so  render  a 
tale  and  write  in  the  preface  to  the  same 
book :  "  The  youngest  children  are  at  one 
with  birds,  beasts,  and  insects,  and  it  is  only 
through  imitation  and  instruction  that  they 
learn  to  avoid  these  creatures."  To  be  con- 
sistent with  this,  the  writer  should  certainly 
teach  modern  children  to  avoid  "  bear  hugs  " 
and  by  scaring  them  thoroughly,  not  to  go 
to  sleep  in  bear-beds  at  the  Zoo. 


84         The  Children's  Reading 

Anathema  also  be  upon  those  vandals  who 
demand  that  bad  ogres  and  witches  be  met 
with  moral  suasion  only.  Such  treatment  is 
lacking  in  poetic  justice,  and  from  the  chil- 
dren's standpoint  is  neither  moral  nor  satis- 
factory. 

There  yet  remain  for  consideration  a  host 
of  modern  wonder  tales,  not  belonging  to 
folk-literature.  Many  of  these  are  grotesquely 
humorous,  in  the  way  children  love.  Their 
chief  value  lies  in  literary  quality  or  in  tlie 
fun  and  joy  they  give,  and  also  in  some 
ethical  teaching.  Occasionally,  as  in  a  few 
of  Andersen's  fairy  tales,  and  in  Kennedy's 
"New  World  Fairy-Book,"  there  is  a  slight 
background  of  folk-lore  on  which  the  au- 
thor has  built  original  stories,  but  for  the 
most  part  the  wonder-stories  are  original 
productions.  Some  fine  examples  of  wonder- 
tales  may  be  found  in  Andersen's  fairy  tales, 
Browne's  *' Granny's  Wonderful  Chair," 
Carroll's  "  Alice  in  Wonderland,"  Madame 
d'Aulnoy's  fairy  tales,  and  Ruskin's  "  King 
of  the  Golden  River." 
*-  Such,  then,  is  the  educational  mission  of 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     85 

folk-literature  and  wonder  tales;  to  culti- 
vate the  imagination,  to  prepare  for  the  fu- 
ture understanding  of  classic  literature, — 
especially  poetry, — to  develop  the  sense  of 
beauty,  to  implant  ideas  of  simple  virtues, 
and  last  but  not  least  to  give  joy  to  chil- 
dren. 

There  is  scarcely  a  collection  of  folk-tales 
for  children  which  does  not  contain  some 
objectionable  features.  The  books  recom- 
mended in  the  following  list  are  not  entirely 
free  from  the  same,  but  they  are,  as  far  as 
the  writer  knows,  of  the  best  of  their  kind 
for  children,  and  are  comparatively  free  from 
hurtful  su|^stions.  Some  volumes  are  beau- 
tifully bo^fc  and  illustrated;  and  others, 
though  in  less  pretentious  form,  will  make 
most  acceptable  gifts  for  any  child's  book- 
case. 


86         The  Children's  Reading 
books  of  fables,  myths,  and  fairy  tales 

(For  other  books  on  the  same  subject  see  Easy  Reading, 
page  62;  also  Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances,  page  119. 
For  editions,  publishers,  and  prices  see  Purchase  List  of 
Children's  Books,  page  30a.) 

Fables^  Myths ^  Legends^  and  Folk-Tales 
American;  African. 

Uncle  Remus,    His  Songs  and   His  Sayings. 
(Harris.) 

Humorous  tales  in  negro  dialect.  Best  enjoyed  when 
read  aloud.  The  humor  redeems  in  part  the  unethi- 
cal elements  in  the  stories.  Contains  among  other 
things  the  Tar-Baby  story. 

American;  Dutch. 

Rip  Van  Winkle.  (Irving.) 

This  tale  of  the  Hudson  Valley  is  published  together 
with  the  "Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow,"  and  illus- 
trated by  G.  H.  Boughton. 

American ;  Indian. 

Old  Indian  Legends.  (Zitkala-Sa.) 

Folk-tales  retold  by  an  Indian,  and  illustrated  by 
Angel  de  Cora,  an  Indian  artist.  The  stories  centre 
about  Iktomi,  the  snare-weaver  and  spider  fairy  of 
the  Dakotas.  Simple  and  well  told.  Follow  with 
"The  Basket  Woman." 

Song  of  Hiawatha.  (Longfellow.) 

This  poem  presents  the  best,  though  idealized,  po- 
etic and  ethical  thought  of  the  American  Indian. 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     87 

Its  rhythm  and  subject  appeal  to  the  children,  es- 
pecially when  it  is  read  aloud.  A  fine  edition  is  il- 
lustrated by  Remington. 

The  Basket  Woman.  (Austin.) 

Fourteen  tales  telling  of  the  customs  and  beliefs  of 
the  Ute  Indians.  The  author  has  woven  into  her 
stories  much  of  the  poetic  and  melancholy  spirit  of 
life  in  the  great  Western  deserts.  Good  to  read  aloud. 

Arabian. 

The  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments. 

The  best  edition  for  children  is  that  edited  by  Dixon. 
Another  attractive  edition  is  prepared  by  Wiggin  and 
Smith,  and  illustrated  by  Parrish.  Editions  for  chil- 
dren are  usually  based  on  the  French  version  by 
Galland,  and,  though  romantic  and  charming,  are 
not  truly  Oriental.  If  possible  the  translation  from 
the  Cairo  text,  by  E.  W.  Lane,  should  be  read  aloud 
to  the  children.  This  last  version  has  a  breadth  and 
strength  that  is  not  in  Galland.  It  pictures  the  life 
in  the  deserts  and  cities  of  the  Orient,  and  it  relates 
its  wonders  with  a  dignity  and  definiteness  of  pic- 
turesque detail  that  convinces  the  imagination.  The 
drawings  by  Harvey  are  delightful  and  appropriate. 

Celtic ;  Scotch^  Welsh ^  Irish. 
Celtic  Fairy  Tales.  (Jacobs.) 

From  the  Scotch,  Welsh,  and  Irish  folk-lore.  Hu- 
morous and  fanciful.  The  companion  volume  to  this 
is  "  More  Celtic  Fairy  Tales." 

Scottish  Fairy  Book.  (Grierson.) 

Charming  stories  retold  from  ballads  and  tales  ;  con- 
tains many  stories  of  fairy-lore  and  magic.   More 


88  The  Children's  Reading 

fancifully  rendered  than  Jacobs* s  "  Celtic  Fairy 
Tales,"  but  not  so  vigorous. 

East  Indian. 

Indian  Fables.  (Ramaswami  Raju.) 

Short  fables  for  little  children.  Similar  to  iEsop's. 
Good  to  read  aloud.  Follow  with  Dutton's  '*  The 
Tortoise  and  the  Geese." 

Indian  Fairy  Tales.  (Jacobs.) 

From  the  Jatakas,  or  birth  stories  of  Buddha,  the  fa- 
bles of  Bidpai,  and  from  other  Sanskrit  sources. 
Humorous  and  imaginative.  Preserves  the  best  nur- 
sery elements  of  Hindu  folk-tales. 

The  Tortoise  and  the  Geese.  (Dutton.) 

Thirty-four  fables  of  Bidpai,  the  sage  of  India,  with 
twelve  illustrations  by  E.  Boyd  Smith.  Follow  with 
Jacobs's  **  Indian  Fairy  Tales." 

English. 

English  Fairy  Tales.  (Jacobs.) 

The  best  of  our  own  nursery  folk-lore.  Contains 
familiar  stories  like  "  Jack  the  Giant  Killer,"  as  well 
as  others  less  well  known.  Mr.  Jacobs  has  preserved 
the  folk-flavor,  and  the  stories  are  strong,  humor- 
ous, and  simple.  Very  popular.  Companion  vol- 
ume to  this  is  "  More  English  Fairy  Tales." 

Fairy-Gold.  (Rhys.) 

Contains  lore  of  fairies,  elves,  brownies,  and  pixies 
who  give  "pinches,  nips,  and  bobs"  to  lazy  folk 
and  who  reward  the  industrious.  Tells  also  of  drag- 
ons and  "loathly  worms"  that  lay  waste  fair  lands, 
and  of  the  valiant  knights  who  kill  these  evil  beasts. 
All  rendered  with  the  homely  spuit  of  the  English 
folL 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     89 

German. 

Household  Tales.  (Grimm.) 

Fireside  tales  collected  by  the  famous  folk-lorists. 
In  subject,  treatment,  and  interest  these  stories  stand 
as  models  for  all  other  folk  nursery  tales.  There  are 
many  editions  of  Grimm,  four  good  ones  are  the 
volume  of  selected  tales  illustrated  by  Walter  Crane; 
the  tales,  illustrated  by  Helen  Stratton  for  younger 
children;  the  full  collection  with  crude  but  quaint 
woodcuts  by  Johann  and  Leinweber,  and  a  very  com- 
plete and  sumptuous  edition  illustrated  by  Arthur 
Rackham. 

Tales  from  the  Travels  of  Baron  Munchau- 
sen. (Raspe.) 

Short  stories  of  the  Baron* s  humorous  and  exciting 
adventures.  Compiled  from  floating  German  legends. 
One  of  the  few  books  of  pure  humor  for  children. 

Greek  and  Roman. 
iEsop's  Fables. 

World-famous  fables  which  should  be  told  to  the 
children  as  soon  as  they  can  understand  spoken  words. 
The  best  version  is  Joseph  Jacobs*  s,  which  should 
follow  Scudder's  "  Book  of  Fables,"  see  page  63. 

Half-a-Hundred  Hero  Tales.  (Storr.) 

Classic  stories  by  many  authors.  Contains  among 
other  things  tales  of  the  Trojan  War  and  of  the  ad- 
ventures of  Ulysses  and  ^neas,  also  the  myths  of 
Arethusa;  Orpheus  and  Eurydice;  Deucalion  and 
Pyrrha;  Iphigenia;  Hypermnestra ;  Meleager  and 
Atalanta;  Hero  and  Leander;  and  The  Ring  of 
Polycrates.    For  older  children. 


go         The  Children's  Reading 

Hellenic  Tales.  (Carpenter.) 

Stories  for  older  children,  well  told  and  interesting. 
Contains,  among  other  things,  **  The  Battle  of  the 
Frogs  and  Mice,"  by  Homer;  "  Cloudcuckoobor- 
ough,"  adapted  from  Aristophanes  ;  *♦  How  Pelops 
Won  his  Bride,"  from  Apollodorus,  and  *•  Thetis," 
adapted  from  Pindar,  Euripides,  and  Lycophron. 

Heroes;  or  Greek  Fairy  Tales.  (Kingsley.) 
Stories  of  Perseus,   the  Argonauts,   and   Theseus; 
retold  in  clear,  concise  English.   An  attractive  edi- 
tion is  illustrated  in  color  by  T.  H.  Robinson. 

Legends  of  Greece  and  Rome.  (Kupfer.) 
For  younger  children.  A  collection  of  stories  and 
poems  by  different  authors,  and  illustrated  with  re- 
productions of  paintings  and  statuary.  Contains 
Arachne;  Icarus  and  Daedalus,  Echo  and  Narcissus, 
and  other  myths. 

Old  Greek  Folk-Stories.  (Peabody.) 

The  child's  first  book  of  Greek  tales.  Has  disdnct 
literary  quality.  Follow  with  Kupfer,  Kingsley,  and 
Hawthorne,  and  Baldwin's  "  Story  of  the  Golden 
Age"  (sec  page  127). 

Wonder-Book^  and  Tanglewood  Tales.  (Haw- 
thorne.) 

Two  classics  which  should  be  in  every  child's  li- 
brary. They  come  bound  together  in  one  volume 
illustrated  in  color,  by  H.  G.  Fell;  or  in  two  hand- 
some volumes,  the  "  Wonder-Book,"  illustrated 
by  Walter  Crane,  and  **  Tanglewood  Tales,"  with 
pictures  by  G.  W.  Edwards. 

Italian. 

Italian  Fairy  Book.  (Macdonell.) 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     91 

Stories  of  fairy  gifts,  enchantment,  and  wonder- 
animals.    Full  of  fun  and  frolic. 

'Japanese, 

Japanese  Fairy  Tales.  (Williston.) 

Stories  Japanese  mothers  tell  their  little  children,  with 
delightful  colored  illustrations  by  Sanchi  Ogawa,  a 
native  artist  of  Japan. 

The  Fire-Fly's  Lovers.  (Griffis.) 

A  collection  of  Japanese  folk-tales,  well  rendered 
and  interesting.  For  older  children.  Illustrated  in 
color. 

Norwegian. 

Fairy  Tales  from  the  Far  North.  (Asbjornsen.) 

Stories  of  trolls  and  strange  beasts,  of  rescued  prin- 
cesses, and  other  wonders.  Translated  from  the 
Norwegian  by  Broekstad.  Imaginative  illustrations. 

Old  Norse. 

In  the  Days  of  Giants.  (Brown.) 

Norse  mythology  retold  in  a  simple,  direct  fashion 
very  pleasing  to  little  children.  Tells  among  other 
things  how  Father  Odin  lost  his  eye ;  how  Thor 
went  fishing  ;  of  the  death  of  Baldur  ;  and  of  other 
experiences  of  the  gods  and  goddesses  of  Asgard. 
For  young  children. 

Norse  Stories  retold  from  the  Eddas.  (Mabie.) 

Tells  the  history  of  the  Old  Norse  gods  from  the 
creation  of  the  world  until  the  battle  of  Ragnarok. 
Should  follow  Brown's  **  In  the  Days  of  Giants,** 
and  may  be  used  to  lead  to  Baldwin's  **  Story  of 
Siegfried"  (seepage  122). 


93  The  Children's  Reading 

Saga  of  King  Olaf.  (In  Longfellow,  Tales  of  a 
Wayside  Inn.) 

This  poem,  telling  of  the  passing  of  the  old  Norse 
gods  and  the  coming  of  Christianity,  may  be  read 
aloud  to  the  children  after  they  have  enjoyed  Brown 
and  Mabie. 

Russian. 

Russian  Fairy  Book.  (Dole.) 

Seven  fairy  and  wonder  tales.  Language  clear  and 
direct.  Folk-lore  treatment.  Illustrated  with  quaint 
colored  pictures  from  Russia.  There  are  some  bru- 
tal touches  in  the  tales,  but  they  are  few  <ind  do 
not  condemn  the  volume. 

Swedish. 

Wonderful  Adventures  of  Nils.  (Lagerlof.) 
Story  of  a  little  boy  who  flew  away  on  the  back  of  a 
wild  goose.  The  author  has  woven  into  the  story  folk- 
tales and  legends  of  Sweden.    Good  to  read  aloud. 

Miscellaneous   Collections  of  Fables^  Myths.,  Legends^ 
and  Folk-tales 

Blue  Fairy  Book.  (Lang.) 

A  popular  one-volume  edirion  of  the  best-known 
fairy  tales.  The  other  volumes  in  the  "Colored 
Fairy  Book  Series ' '  vary  in  merit,  as  the  editor 
has  not  been  always  carefiil  to  select  wholesome 
talcs.  "The  Brown,"  "Violet,"  "Red,"  and 
"Yellow  Fairy  Books"  are  among  the  best  of 
the  series. 

Book  of  Saints  and  Friendly  Beasts.  (Brown.) 

Of  Bridget,  the  little  girl  saint  of  Ireland ;  of  St. 
Prisca,  the  child  martyr  of  Rome ;  of  the  birds  of 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     93 

St.  Cuthbert  ;  of  the  fish  that  helped  St.  Gudwall  ; 
and  of  other  friendly  beasts  and  kindly  people. 
Good  to  read  aloud. 

Children's  Book.  (Scudder.) 

A  treasure  trove  of  ballads,  fairy  tales,  and  stories 
from  the  **  Arabian  Nights,"  Munchausen,  Gul- 
liver, and  other  sources.  A  parent  w^ho  can  only 
afford  one  volume  of  fairy  tales  and  other  stories 
should  purchase  this.  If  funds  permit,  however,  it 
is  better  to  buy  the  individual  volumes  containing 
the  same  stories  in  complete  form. 

Curious  Book  of  Birds.  (Brown.) 

Legends  and  myths  about  birds  told  most  charm- 
ingly and  illustrated  by  E.  Boyd  Smith.  Useful  to 
the  story-teller. 

Tales  of  Laughter.  (Wiggin  and  Smith.) 

A  fiind  of  humorous  and  joyous  stories  collected 
from  the  Celtic,  Scandinavian,  Russian,  Spanish, 
German,  Chinese,  and  other  sources.  An  equally 
delightful  companion  volume  is  •*  Tales  of  Won- 
der," which  are  collected  from  the  Persian,  Japan- 
ese, Gaelic,  Welsh,  and  other  peoples.  Both  vol- 
umes contain  good  stories  to  tell. 

Wonder-Book  of  Horses.  (Baldwin.) 

Selections  of  best  tales  from  •*  The  Horse  Fair." 
Contains  stories  of  flying  steeds,  and  of  the  war- 
horses  of  famous  knights  and  heroes, 

.J 
Modern  Fairy  and  Wonder  Tales 

Alice's  Adventures  in  Wonderland.  (Carroll.) 

*'  The  most  delightful  of  all  nonsense  books,  and 
one  that  has  already  become  a  classic.   Every  child 


94         The  Children's  Reading 

should  know  it  by  heart."  (Hardy.)  The  children 
should  "  learn  their  Alice  "  from  the  edition  illus- 
trated by  Sir  John  Tenniel.  The  companion  vol- 
ume to  this  is  ''Through  the  Looking-glass." 

Bee-Man  of  Orn.  (Stockton.) 

For  pure  nonsense  and  clever  fun  no  modem 
children's  story-teller  surpasses  Mr.  Stockton. 
Another  volume  of  his  tales,  called  **  The  Floating 
Prince,"  is  also  delightful  reading.  For  older  chil- 
dren. 

Davy  and  the  Goblin.  (Carry!.) 

Grotesque  fairy  tale  modeled  on  "Alice  in  Wonder- 
land."  Very  popular.   Fanciful  pictures  by  Bensell. 

Enchanted  Mountain.  (White.) 

Adventures  of  four  little  children  and  their  parents. 
Although  the  story  has  a  moral  it  is  so  skillfully 
hidden  that  the  children  absorb  it  unconsciously. 

Fairy  Tales.  (Andersen.) 

This  king  of  feiry-tale  WTiters  has  bequeathed  to  the 
children  stories  which,  for  poetic  and  imaginative 
qualities  and  tender  pathos,  have  as  yet  been  un- 
equaled  by  any  other  writer  for  children.  This 
classic  comes  in  many  editions.  A  quite  complete 
collection  is  issued  in  two  volumes,  and  illustrated 
with  delightfiil  old-fashioned  woodcuts  by  Pedersen 
and  Stone.  A  good  general  translation  is  by  Mrs. 
Lucas  ;  and  an  edition  for  yoimger  children  is  illus- 
trated by  Helen  Stratton.  A  fine  Centenary  edition, 
with  introduction  by  Gosse,  and  over  two  hundred 
pictures  by  Hans  Tegner,  has  been  issued  by  the 
Danish  Government  and  translated  into  English  by 
Broekstad. 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     95 

Fairy  Tales.  (d'Aulnoy.) 

A  classic  written  in  French  over  two  hundred 
years  ago.  For  girls  just  leaving  the  fairy-tale  age ; 
may  be  used  to  introduce  them  to  romances.  A  few 
of  the  stories  are  :  "The  Yellow  Dwarf,"  **  Prin- 
cess Rosette,"  "The  Hind  in  the  Wood," 
**  Gracieuse  and  Percinet,"  and  *•  The  Bee  and 
the  Orange  Tree." 

Fairy  Tales.  (HaufF.) 

Clever  and  humorous  stories,  written  with  fascinadng 
detail.  Translated  from  the  German.  An  attractive 
edition  is  that  illustrated  by  Dixon. 

Granny's  Wonderful  Chair.  (Browne.) 

A  child's  classic.  The  language  is  charming,  and  the 
stories  are  quaint  and  fanciful,  and  teach  ethical 
truths  in  a  pleasant  manner.   Good  to  read  aloud  or 

to  tell. 

Gulliver's  Travels.  (Swift.) 

This  is  one  of  the  few  classics,  not  written  for 
children,  that  have  become  their  property.  A  charm- 
ing edition  of  this  wonder-tale  is  that  published  in 
the  Cranford  series.  It  is  expurgated,  and  well  illus- 
trated. 

Home  Fairy  Tales.  (Mace.) 

Moral  instruction  given  in  guise  of  pretty  wonder 
stories,  in  which  good  little  children  reap  due  re- 
wards, and  bad  children  are  direfully  punished.  For 
little  folk. 

Tungle  Book.  (Kipling.) 

Of  this  book  Israel  Zangwill  says  :  **  Rousseau's 
writings  gave  Voltaire  a  yearning  to  go  down  on  all 


96  The  Children's  Reading 

fours,  and  a  perusal  of  Mr.  Kipling's  book  has  left 
me  merely  undecided  whether  I  should  rather  be  a 
seal  or  a  mongoose."  The  stories  are  strongly  im- 
aginative, and  deal  much  with  mysterious  jungle  life. 
Good  to  read  aloud. 

Little  DafFydowndilly,  (Hawthorne.) 

Bound  together  with  the  *•  Snow  Image  "  and  other 
tales.  Delicate  fanciful  tales.   Good  to  read  aloud. 

Little  Lame  Prince.  (Craik.) 

Story  of  little  Prince  Dolor  who  floated  out  of  his 
prison  tower  on  a  wonderfiil  cloak.  Charming 
symbolic  tale.  A  pretty  edition  is  that  illustrated 
by  Hope  Dunlap. 

Mother  Stories.  (Lindsay.) 

The  tales  are  told  with  a  simple  genuineness  and  a 
touch  of  folk-treatment.  Each  story  has  an  inner 
meaning,  not  at  all  obtrusive.  Good  to  read  aloud 
or  to  tell  to  little  children. 

New  World  Fairy  Book.  (Kennedy.) 

Wholesome,  imaginative  stories  built  on  a  frame- 
work of  American  Indian  folk-lore.  Tell  of  Indian 
magic,  of  Indian  maids  and  braves,  and  of  fairies  and 
enchantment. 

Pinocchio.  (Collodi.) 

Humorous  and  wonderful  adventures  of  Pinocchio 
the  wooden  marionette  of  evil  ways  but  tender  heart; 
and  how  at  last  he  reformed  and  became  a  real  live 
boy.  A  popular  tale  translated  from  the  Italian  of 
Lorenzini,  and  illustrated  by  Copeland. 

Red  Feathers.  (Roberts.) 

Story  of  magic  red  feathers,  and  of  the  struggle  be- 


Fables,  Myths,  and  Fairy  Tales     97 

tween  two  Indian  magicians.  The  tale  breathes  of 
the  poetry  of  the  forest.  For  older  children. 

Short  Stories  for  Short  People.  (Aspinwall.) 

Colonel  Higginson  says  that  Mrs.  Aspinwall' s  stor- 
ies **have  that  pure  impossibility  in  which  children 
delight,  that  fresh  vigor  which  carries  attention  along, 
and  that  suggestion  which  even  children  vaguely  feel 
of  deeper  meanings."  Some  of  the  stories  are  about 
a  squash  vine  that  ran  away,  and  a  disobedient  is- 
land, and  other  humorous  wonders. 

Star  Jewels.  (Brown.) 

Five  fairy  tales  and  six  rhymes  telling,  among  other 
things,  of  mermaids,  stars,  an  Indian  fairy,  a  dryad, 
and  a  monkey  with  a  green  cap.  Prettily  and  fanci- 
fully written. 

The  Prince  and  his  Ants.  (Bertelli.) 

Humorous  story  of  little  Gigino,  and  his  little 
brother  and  sister,  who  refiising  to  study  are  trans- 
formed into  an  ant,  a  caterpillar,  and  a  cricket.  They 
have  many  adventures  and  learn  about  the  habits  of 
insects.  Translated  from  the  Italian. 

The  Princess  and  the  Goblin.  (MacDonald.) 

Fantastic  fairy  tale,  telling  how  the  brave  miner's 
son  rescued  the  Princess  from  the  evil  goblins.  The 
sequel  to  this  is  '*  The  Princess  and  Curdy. "  George 
MacDonald  conceals  spiritual  truth  under  the  name 
of  a  fairy  tale,  and  he  throws  over  his  stories  a  veil 
of  mystery  that  charms  the  reader.  A  pretty  edition 
of  these  two  books  is  illustrated  by  M.  L.  Kirk. 

Undine,  and  Sintram.  (La  Motte  Fouque.) 

Two  allegorical  romances  translated  from  the  Ger- 


98         The  Children's  Reading 

man.  They  may  be  used  to  introduce  girls  to  the 
books  of  romance  listed  in  the  following  chapter.  A 
version  of  **  Undine"  with  fanciful  pictures  is  pre- 
pared for  little  people  and  published  in  the  "  Told  to 
Children  Series."  A  rich  and  artistically  bound  edi- 
tion is  that  illustrated  by  Rackham. 

Water-Babies.  (Kingsley.) 

A  classic  story  teaching  nature  lessons  and  ethics 
under  the  guise  of  a  fairy  tale.  Should  be  read  aloud 
to  be  enjoyed. 

Why  the  Chimes  rang.  (Alden.) 

Imaginative  stories  in  form  of  wonder  allegories.  The 
language  and  style  are  ordinary,  but  the  tales  are 
pretty  and  instructive.  Useful  to  the  story-teller. 
Also  published  under  the  title,  **  Knights  of  the 
SUver  Shield." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BALLADS,  EPICS,  AND  ROMANCES 

*•  The  original  force,  the  direct  smell  of  the  earth  or  the 
sea,  is  in  these  ancient  poems,  the  Sagas  of  the  North,  the 
Nibelungen  Lied,  the  songs  and  ballads  of  the  English  and 
Scotch.  I  find  or  fancy  more  true  poetry,  the  love  of  the  'vast 
and  the  ideal,  in  the  Welsh  and  bardic  fragments  of  Talies- 
sin  and  his  successors,  than  in  many  'volumes  of  British 
Classics,''''  —  Emerson. 

IN  early  man  the  delight  in  rhythm  and 
musical  sounds  was  prior  to  the  sedate 
power  of  prose  expression.  So  it  is  with 
children.  "A  child  at  play  with  itself  will 
express  its  delight  by  its  voice  and  motions," 
says  the  poet  Shelley,  "and  every  inflexion 
of  tone  and  every  gesture  will  bear  exact 
relation  to  a  corresponding  antitype  in  the 
pleasurable  impressions  which  awakened  it. 
...  In  relation  to  the  objects  which  delight 
a  child,  these  expressions  are  what  poetry  is 
to  higher  objects.  The  savage  (for  the  sav- 
age is  to  ages  what  the  child  is  to  years) 


lOO       The  Children's  Reading 

expresses  the  emotions  produced  in  him  by 
surrounding  objects  in  a  similar  manner." 

We  find  much  of  this  poetic  expression 
of  the  life  of  the  race  conserved  for  us  in  an- 
cient hymns,  proverbs,  charm-rhymes,  songs 
to  accompany  dances,  and  songs  and  chants 
used  to  produce  concerted  action  in  labor, 
and  last  but  not  least  in  ballad  poetry. 

Even  in  America  labor  songs  are  still  used 
for  practical  purposes.  Sailors  use  the  "  yo- 
heave-o  "  and  the  present  writer  once  saw  a 
gang  of  workmen  opening  the  clay  door  of 
a  blast  furnace,  and  as  the  men  rhythmically 
swung  their  metal  bar  against  the  clay,  they 
kept  time  with  a  low,  monotonous  sing-song. 
Scissors-grinders  and  street  peddlers  often  use 
rhyming  calls,  —  probably  survivals  of  old 
London  street  cries. 

Ancient  proverbs  are  still  used  in  the 
household,  and  a  survival  of  charms,  labor 
and  dance  songs  may  be  found  in  the  music 
and  words  of  folk-dances.  And,  what  is  more 
to  our  immediate  purpose,  these  ancient 
rhymes  and  songs  enter  into  the  play  life  of 
modem  children.  Songs  to  accompany  ring 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    lor 

games,  counting-out  rhymes,  and  dance-songs 
have  their  origins  in  these  interesting  frag- 
ments, and  it  is  possible  to  trace  to  the  same 
sources  nursery  rhymes  and  jingles. 

But  the  cry  from  the  heart  of  the  common 
people,  which  expresses  their  sufferings  from 
social  oppression,  and  from  the  struggle  for 
existence ;  and  which  shows  forth  their  res- 
tiveness  under  the  action  of  laws  operated 
for  the  benefit  of  tyrannical  classes  —  all 
this  is  embodied  in  the  ballad.  This  form 
of  poetry  has  an  important  educational  value. 
Simple,  strong,  not  analytical,  dealing  with 
first  principles  of  human  failings  and  of  jus- 
tice, full  of  action,  and  imaginative,  the  bal- 
lad nourishes  the  awakening  powers  of  moral 
reasoning  in  older  children.  The  swing  of  the 
verse,  the  objective  treatment,  the  rapid  ac- 
tion, the  humor  or  pathos,  appeal  to  the 
primitive  craving  of  children  for  rhythm, 
for  rapidly  passing  mental  pictures,  and 
for  emotional  literature. 

Ballads  are  fragmentary  expressions  of 
popular  feelings  and  experiences,  but  when 
gathered  together  by  literary  geniuses,  and 


I02        The  Children's  Reading 

welded  into  perfect  wholes,  they  become  epics 
— symphonies  of  human  life  and  thought 
Matthew  Arnold,  in  his  discussion  of  Homer, 
characterizes  epic  greatness  as  being  a  crea- 
tion from  unorganized  matter,  a  consistent 
whole  moving  along  a  uniformly  high  plane 
of  noble  simplicity.  '*  Homer's  manner  and 
movement  are  always  both  noble  and  pow- 
erful," he  asserts;  "the  ballad  manner  and 
movement  are  often  jaunty  or  smart,  so  not 
noble ;  or  jog-trot  or  humdrum,  so  not  pow- 
erful." 

The  Iliad,  standing  as  it  does  at  the  fore- 
front of  literary  masterpieces,  and  being  a 
receptacle  of  universal  human  experience, 
clarified  of  its  crudity,  may  be  made  the  lit- 
erary goal  toward  which  parents  should  work, 
when  guiding  their  children's  reading.  Step 
by  step,  through  readings  in  folk-stories,  bal- 
lads, sagas,  and  mediaeval  romances,  young 
people  may  be  brought  to  a  full  and  uncon- 
scious enjoyment  of  Homer's  epic  poetry. 

Too  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  on  the 
free  use  of  romantic  literature  in  leading  up 
to  an  appreciation  of  the  unsentimental,  he- 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    103 

roic  qualities  of  Homer's  Iliad.  The  claims 
of  these  romantic  writings  are  delightfully 
defended  by  Don  Quixote's  curate,  who, 
after  listening  to  the  harsh  criticisms  of  the 
canon,  replied  in  part  as  follows;  that  the 
author  "  can  set  forth  the  craftiness  of  Ulys- 
ses, the  piety  of  ^Eneas,  the  valor  of  Achil- 
les, the  misfortunes  of  Hector,  the  treachery 
of  Sinon,  the  friendship  of  Euryalus,  the  gen- 
erosity of  Alexander,  the  boldness  of  Cae- 
sar, the  clemency  and  truth  of  Trajan,  the 
fidelity  of  Zopyrus,  the  wisdom  of  Cato,  and, 
in  short,  all  the  faculties  that  serve  to  make 
an  illustrious  man  perfect;  now  uniting  them 
in  one  individual,  again  distributing  them 
among  many;  and  if  this  be  done  with  charm 
of  style  and  ingenious  invention,  aiming  at 
the  truth  as  much  as  possible,  he  will  assur- 
edly weave  a  web  of  bright  and  varied 
threads  that,  when  finished,  will  display  such 
perfection  and  beauty  that  it  will  attain  the 
worthiest  object  any  writing  can  seek,  which, 
as  I  said  before,  is  to  give  instruction  and 
pleasure  combined." 

Although  the  romantic  cycles  are  largely 


104       Ta^  Children's  Reading 

the  product  of  the  sentimental  side  of  med* 
iseval  chivalry,  they  have  great  value  in  the 
education  of  young  people.  They  appeal  to 
the  budding  sentiments  and  the  awakening 
enthusiasms  of  youth.  They  are  imbued  with 
charming  fancy  and  with  tenderness.  They 
deal  less  with  the  depths  of  life  and  more 
with  its  emotions.  They  draw  youthful  al- 
truistic aspirations  towards  an  ideal  goal  — 
where  treachery,  cruelty,  cowardice,  and  false- 
hood are  shown  in  their  blackness,  and  where 
the  unstained  shield  of  the  faithful  knight 
is  preferred  above  all  things. 

Milton  in  his  "Apology  for  Smectym- 
nuus,"  emphasizes  the  moral  influence  of 
romance.  "Next,  (for  hear  me  out  now, 
reader,)  that  I  may  tell  ye  whither  my 
younger  feet  wandered;  I  betook  me  among 
those  lofty  fables  and  romances,  which  re- 
count in  solemn  cantos  the  deeds  of  knight- 
hood founded  by  our  victorious  kings,  and 
from  hence  had  in  renown  over  all  Christen- 
dom. There  I  read  it  in  the  oath  of  every 
knight^  that  he  should  defend  to  the  ex- 
pense of  his  best  blood,  or  of  his  life,  if  it 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances     105 

so  befell  him,  the  honor  and  chastity  of 
virgin  or  matron;  from  whence  even  then  I 
learned  what  a  noble  virtue  chastity  sure 
must  be,  to  the  defence  of  which  so  many 
worthies,  by  such  a  dear  adventure  of  them- 
selves, had  sworn.  And  if  I  found  in  the 
story  afterward,  any  of  them,  by  word  or 
deed,  breaking  that  oath,  I  judged  it  the 
same  fault  of  the  poet,  as  that  which  is  at- 
tributed to  Homer,  to  have  written  indecent 
things  of  the  gods.  Only  this  my  mind  gave 
me,  that  every  free  and  gentle  spirit,  with- 
out that  oath,  ought  to  be  born  a  knight, 
nor  needed  to  expect  a  gilt  spur,  or  the 
laying  of  a  sword  upon  his  shoulder  to  stir 
him  up  both  by  his  counsel  and  his  arms." 

This  same  moral  influence,  exerted  by 
romance  upon  the  young  Milton,  is  to-day 
working  upon  the  characters  of  thousands 
of  modern  boys  and  girls.  Through  the 
public  libraries  numberless  copies  of  books 
on  chivalry  are  widely  circulated.  Stories 
of  chivalry  and  romance  are  recounted  at 
the  public  story-hours,  and  an  organization, 
called  the  "Knights  of  King  Arthur,"  is 


io6        The  Children's  Reading 

encouraged  by  religious  and  secular  institu* 
tions.  "  The  purpose,"  says  the  founder  of 
the  organization,  William  Forbush,  "is  to 
bring  back,  to  the  world,  and  especially  to 
its  youth,  the  spirit  of  chivalry,  courtesy, 
deference  to  womanhood,  recognition  of 
noblesse  oblige,  and  Christian  daring,  and 
ideal  of  that  kingdom  of  knightliness  which 
Arthur  promised  he  would  bring  back  when 
he  returns  from  Avalon." 

It  is  hoped  that  the  foregoing  necessarily 
brief  and  rapid  survey  of  great  literature, 
that  may  be  used  in  the  education  of  liter- 
ary taste,  will  rekindle  the  enthusiasm  of 
parents  and  encourage  them  to  utilize  this 
material  to  the  full  for  the  benefit  of  their 
children.  Whether  or  not  parents  wish  to 
work  toward  the  development  of  a  taste  for 
Homeric  poetry,  it  is  best  for  them  to  fol- 
low graded  courses — not  too  ironclad  —  in 
directing  the  reading  of  children.  The  writer 
offers  here  a  plan  which  is  based  on  m.any 
years  of  experimentation  with  children  of 
all  classes.  Brief  characterizations  of  groups 
of  stories  are  added  which  will  aid  parents 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    107 

in  selecting  and  grouping  their  material  to 
be  used  for  story-telling,  reading  aloud,  and 
for  the  personal  reading  of  the  children  and 
young  people. 

While  a  child  is  still  enjoying  fairy  and 
wonder  tales,  he  may  be  given  ballads,  the 
full  enjoyment  of  which  depends  on  their 
being  read  aloud  to  him,  the  reader's  voice 
keeping  time  with  the  swing  of  the  verse. 
Among  the  fine  old  ballads  are  "Chevy 
Chace,"  "The  Battle  of  Otterburn,"  "The 
Blind  Beggar's  Daughter,"  "  Sir  Andrew 
Barton,"  "  Adam  Bel,"  "  Clym  of  the 
Clough  and  Wyllyam  of  Cloudeslee,"  "  Sir 
Cauline,"  "Fair  Rosamond,"  "The  Heir 
of  Linne,"  and  the  cycle  of  Robin  Hood 
ballads.  There  are  also  stirring  imitations 
by  modern  poets,  equally  worth  reading 
aloud;  among  these  are  "Valentine  and 
Ursine,"  "John  Gilpin,"  "Young  Lochin- 
var,"  " Horatius,"  "The  Mermaid,"  "How 
they  Brought  the  Good  News  from  Ghent 
to  Aix,"  "The  Pied  Piper,"  and  "The 
Rime  of  the  Ancient  Mariner."  There  are 
a  number  of  renditions  of  ballads  into  prose. 


io8       The  Children's  Reading 

These  serve  as  delightful  story-books,  or 
they  may  be  used  to  interest  the  children  in 
ballad  plots  and  thus  lead  up  to  the  poems 
themselves.  Prose  versions,  no  matter  how 
well  done,  cannot  reproduce  the  spirit  of  the 
ballads  in  original  form.  The  reading  of 
ballad  poetry  may  be  made  an  occasional 
incident  in  the  children's  literary  training, 
not  a  course  complete  in  itself. 

As  a  child  begins  to  outgrow  myths, 
legends,  and  fairy  tales,  he  will  revel  in  the 
stories  of  Beowulf  and  Siegfried,  in  the  slay- 
ing of  Grendel  the  Ogre,  and  the  killing  of 
Fafnir  the  Dragon.  The  combination  in 
the  tales  of  the  wonder  element  and  the 
heroic  appeals  to  a  growing  child;  while  the 
Germanic  strength  in  these  products  of  our 
Northern  ancestors  acts  like  a  tonic  on  the 
mind. 

Among  the  best  of  the  Siegfried  legends 
are,  "  The  Forging  of  the  Sword  Balmung," 
"The  Choosing  of  Grani,"  "The  Slaying 
of  Fafnir,"  and  "  The  Awakening  of  Bryn- 
hild."  The  strongest  elements  of  the  stories 
are  drawn  from  the  Northern  sagas  telling 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    109 

of  the  deeds  of  Sigurd  the  Volsung  —  the 
Siegfried  of  the  North.  The  saga  tales  are 
full  of  the  mystery  and  poetry  of  the  land 
of  Northern  lights  and  midnight  sun;  and 
they  relate  the  deeds  of  valiant  men  and 
heroic  women.  Another  source  of  the  stories 
is  the  great  German  epic,  the  "  Nibelungen- 
lied,"  in  which  the  Northern  lights  of  the 
saga  tales  die  down,  and  the  wonder  ele- 
ment vanishes,  and  Sigurd  the  hero  becomes 
Siegfried  the  knight,  while  the  Valkyrie 
Brynhild,  "  the  shield-may "  of  Odin,  van- 
ishes from  her  saga  castle,  "  where  without, 
all  around  it,  sweeps  the  red  flame  aloft," 
and  reappears  in  the  German  Lied  as  the 
revengeful,  masculine  Brunhild. 

Unfortunately  there  is  no  satisfactory  ver- 
sion for  children  of  either  the  "  Volsunga 
Saga "  or  the  "  Nibelungenlied."  James 
Baldwin  has  made  the  best  rendition,  in 
which  he  has  combined  the  heroic  and  won- 
der elements  of  the  Northern  sagas  with  the 
best  of  chivalric  sentiment  from  the  Ger- 
man song.  Parts  of  the  "  Volsunga  Saga," 
translated  from  the  Icelandic  by  Magnus- 


no       The  Children's  Reading 

son  and  Morris,  may  be  read  to  the  child- 
ren, but  it  contains  much  that  is  too  brutal 
and  coarsening  for  children  to  read  to  them- 
selves. Mr.  Morris's  poetic  version  of"  Sigurd 
the  Volsung"  is  unfortunately  beyond  the 
appreciation  of  most  young  people. 

Spenser's  "Faerie  Queene,"  although  not 
a  part  of  folk-literature,  but  an  original  me- 
trical romance,  may  be  made  the  next  link 
in  the  chain  of  progressive  reading  that  will 
lead  young  people  to  an  appreciation  of 
other  fine  things.  Richly  imaginative,  full 
of  wonder  incidents,  romantic,  and  above  all 
allegorical,  the  "  Faerie  Queene  "  may  well 
form  part  of  the  mental  diet  on  which  every 
child  is  brought  up.  The  poem  teaches  hol- 
iness, truthfulness,  prudence,  justice,  forti- 
tude, and  temperance.  It  instills  its  lessons 
through  beautiful  allegory  making  the  good 
lovely  and  the  bad  gross.  Milton,  speaking 
of  "our  sage  and  serious  poet  Spenser," 
writes  that  he,  "  describing  true  temperance 
under  the  person  of  Guyon,  brings  him  in 
with  his  palmer  through  the  Cave  of  Mam- 
mon and  the  Bower  of  Earthly  Bliss,  that 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    hi 

he  might  see  and  know  and  yet  abstain.  Since, 
therefore,  the  knowledge  and  survey  of  vice 
is  in  this  world  so  necessary  to  the  constitu- 
tion of  human  virtue  and  the  scanning  of 
error  to  the  confirmation  of  truth."  This 
mysterious  inner  significance,  mingled  with 
a  romantic  plot  and  the  relation  of  many 
wonders,  both  softens  and  enthralls  the  im- 
agination of  a  growing  boy  or  girl. 

A  programme  of  stories  from  the  "  Faerie 
Queene  "  may  include  "  The  Quest  of  the 
Red  Cross  Knight,"  "  Una  and  the  Lion," 
"  The  Red  Cross  Knight  and  the  Dragon," 
"Sir  Guyon's  Search  for  the  Bower  of  Earthly 
Bliss,"  "The  Adventures  of  Britomart," 
"  Britomart  and  Amoret,"  "  The  Fair  Flori- 
mell,"  "Adventures  of  Sir  Artegall,"  and 
"  The  Quest  for  the  Blatant  Beast." 

Following  Spenser,  Chaucer  may  be  read 
aloud  or  given  to  a  child  to  read  for  him- 
self Unfortunately  because  of  the  archaic 
language  of  the  "  Canterbury  Tales,"  they 
may  not  be  fully  enjoyed  in  their  original 
form.  The  fine  adaptations  of  Darton  and 
McSpadden  may  be'  used  to  lead  up  to  a 


112       The  Children's  Reading 

good  paraphrase  of  the  tales.  These  two  ren- 
ditions preserve  much  of  Chaucer's  optimism, 
joyousness,  and  humor,  and  they  render  the 
stories  with  spirit 

Stories  from  Chaucer  are  thoroughly  en- 
joyed by  children  because  of  the  adventure, 
rapid  action,  and  thrilling  plots,  while  the 
humane  attitude,  the  genial  humor,  and 
wholesome  thought  of  the  poet  are  mentally 
salutary.  Some  of  the  best  Chaucerian  tales 
are  "Palamon  and  Arcite,"  "Faithful  Con- 
stance," "  Patient  Griselda," and  "The  Rocks 
Removed." 

At  this  point,  before  passing  into  the  field 
of  Arthurian  and  Carolingian  romance,  pa- 
rents may,  if  desired,  make  use  of  folk-tales 
from  other  literature.  Stories  of  Sohrab  and 
Rustem  may  be  drawn  from  the  Persian 
"  Shah  Nameh,"  and  tales  may  be  taken  from 
such  sources  as  the  romance  of  "  Amadis  of 
Gaul,"  "  Frith iofs  Saga,"  Icelandic  hero  stor- 
ies and  Irish  romance  and  legend.  "  The  Cid," 
the  poems  of  Ossian,  and  the  traditions  of 
Talie  jsin  offer  also  a  rich  supply  of  imagina- 
tive tales. 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    113 

Having  made  the  poems  of  Spenser  and 
Chaucer  the  connecting  links  between  the 
Beowulf  and  Siegfried  legends  and  more  ma- 
ture folk-literature,  we  pass  now  to  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  use  of  the  Arthurian  and 
Carolingian  romances.  These  two  great 
mediaeval  groups  of  stories  have  collected 
within  themselves  historical  and  legendary 
traditions  as  well  as  the  best  of  mediaeval 
Christian  ethics.  The  stories  of  Arthur  have 
passed  from  their  crude  form  —  as  seen  in 
the  Welsh  fragments  —  through  numerous 
hands  until  they  have  found  their  high- 
est Christianized  expression  in  Tennyson's 
"  Idylls  of  the  King." 

Carolingian  romance  has  for  its  central 
figure  the  legendary  Charlemagne,  majestic 
and  solemn,  surrounded  by  his  Paladins  and 
animated  with  one  intent,  the  protection  of 
Christendom.  The  tales  as  given  to  the 
children  are  mainly  a  welding  together  of 
material  drawn  from  the  "Song  of  Roland" 
and  the  "  Orlando  Furioso"  of  Ariosto.  The 
stories  are  heroic,  and  emphasize  loy^ty  in 
friendship,  magnanimity  and  patriotism,  and 


114       The  Children's  Reading 

the  reward  of  the  faithful  in  after  life.  The 
writer  has  found  no  story  that  moves  child- 
ren more  deeply  than  the  death  of  Roland. 
"  In  no  respect,"  writes  one  critic  of  Carol- 
ingian  romance,  "  is  the  influence  of  Christ- 
ianity on  the  national  literature,  and  on  the 
heroic  ideal,  more  strongly  marked  than  in 
such  a  death-scene  as  this  at  Roncesvalles. 
The  Greek  hero,  let  his  toils  be  what  they 
might,  could  look  to  no  reward  after  they 
were  ended.  Even  the  joys  of  the  Northern 
warrior  in  his  Valhalla  were  but  shadowy. 
But  when  the  faithful  champion  of  Christen- 
dom had  fallen  on  his  last  battle-field,  his 
happiness  was  only  commencing :  and  the 
Paladins  of  Roncesvalles  became  a  great  army 
of  martyrs,  whose  blood  had  been  shed  in 
defense  of  all  that  was  true  and  right." 

The  finest  ideals  of  chivalry  are  repre- 
sented by  the  Knights  of  the  Round  Table, 
—  Arthur,  "  whose  glory  was  redressing 
human  wrong,  who  spake  no  slander,  no, 
nor  listened  to  it ; "  Lancelot,  the  faulty  but 
brave  knight,  the  flower  of  Arthur's  court ; 
Gawain  the  courteous ;  Galahad  the  holy ; 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    115 

and  many  others.  The  Paladins  of  Charle- 
magne likewise  uphold  their  knightly  code* 
and  the  noble  deeds  of  Roland  and  Oliver 
stir  the  blood  of  young  people.  While  the 
acts  of  goodly  knights  are  recounted  for 
our  admiration  and  imitation,  the  evil  acts 
of  recreant  ones  are  held  up  to  scorn ;  — 
of  such  are  Mordred  the  treacherous ;  Kay, 
rude  and  boastful ;  and  Ganelon  the  smooth- 
tongued traitor.  The  wonder  element  is  not 
lacking  in  either  Arthurian  or  Carolingian 
legends,  for  the  tales  treat  of  such  mysteri- 
ous beings  as  Merlin  the  enchanter,  spell- 
weaving  Vivien,  the  Lady  of  the  Lake,  Mor- 
gan the  Fay,  the  three  Queens  of  Avalon ; 
also  of  fairies  and  enchanted  beasts ;  while  the 
adventures  of  Ogier  the  Dane  and  those  of 
Roland  in  the  gardens  of  Falerina  should 
satisfy  any  wonder-loving  boy  or  girl. 

A  short  course  of  stories  about  King  Ar- 
thur's knights  may  include  the  following, 
"  The  Coming  of  Arthur,"  "  The  Knights 
of  the  Round  Table,"  "  The  Adventure  of 
Gareth,"  "  Geraint  and  the  Fair  Enid,"  "  The 
Dolorous  Stroke,"  "  Lancelot  and  Elaine," 


ii6       The  Children's  Reading 

»*  The  Quest  of  Sir  Perceval,"  "  Sir  Galahad 
and  the  Achievement  of  the  Holy  Grail," 
and  "  The  Passing  of  Arthur." 

An  equally  delightful  course  of  stories 
may  be  planned  from  Carolingian  romance, 
including:  "The  Adventures  of  Ogier  the 
Dane,"  "The  Sons  of  Aymon,"  "Malagis 
the  Magician,"  "  A  Roland  for  an  Oliver," 
"Reinold's  Journey  to  Cathay,"  "Roland 
in  the  Gardens  of  Falerina,"  "Bradamant 
the  Warrior  Maiden,"  and  "  The  Battle  of 
Roncesvalles." 

Such  courses  as  outlined  above  will  prob- 
ably last  until  a  child  is  fourteen  or  fifteen 
years  of  age.  He  may  then  be  introduced 
to  Homer's  poetry,  or,  if  parents  prefer,  to 
other  great  literature,  Shakespeare,  the  poets, 
the  dramatists  and  novelists. 

An  appreciation  of  Homeric  poetry  is, 
however,  a  fine  preparation  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  other  great  writings.  Homer  should 
be  read  aloud  from  a  good  translation,  but 
previous  to  this  the  boy  or  girl  should  be 
prepared  for  a  fuller  understanding  of  the 
Greek  epics  by  reading  Baldwin's  "Story 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    117 

of  the  Golden  Age,"  which  contains  legends 
and  stories  explaining  the  causes  of  the 
Trojan  War.  The  children  may  also  be  fur- 
ther interested  in  the  Homeric  stories  by- 
reading  one  or  more  of  the  good  renditions 
listed  below.  A  connected  course  giving  the 
events  of  the  war  and  the  after  adventures 
of  the  heroes  may  be  planned,  drawing 
material  from  Homer,  Virgil,  and  other 
sources. 

It  is  a  much-mooted  question  whether 
great  literature  should  be  rewritten  for  child- 
ren, and  whether  it  should  be  expurgated. 
There  are  great  books  that  few  children  read 
through,  while  chapters  from  those  writings 
read  when  young  may  give  the  children,  later 
in  life,  a  desire  to  read  the  entire  works.  An 
example  of  such  is  "  Don  Quixote."  It  would 
seem  well  to  place  in  the  hands  of  children 
interesting,  well-edited  excerpts  from  this 
work.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  fine 
things  that  children  should  read  in  their  en- 
tirety. Of  these  last  there  are  good  renditions 
which  preserve  more  or  less  the  quality  of 
their  originals.  Such  adaptations  may,  as  far 


ii8       The  Children's  Reading 

as  is  possible,  be  used  as  a  means  to  an  end, 
—  to  interest  the  children  in  plots  and  to 
lead  up  to  the  originals.  As  to  expurgation, 
it  is  the  opinion  of  the  present  writer  that 
much  in  books  thought  by  adults  to  be 
harmful  to  children,  these  pass  over  without 
notice — for  it  is  beyond  their  range  of  vision; 
while  that  which  is  actually  harmful  to  minors 
is  the  lauding  of  vice  and  success  by  craft, 
and  the  light  treatment  of  lying,  thieving, 
disloyalty,  and  other  acts  that  children  should 
be  taught  degrade  character  and  undermine 
integrity. 

It  would  seem  that  if  in  their  early  years 
children  are  taught  by  the  means  of  carefully 
selected  and  edited  stories  to  discern  between 
good  and  evil,  and  weakness  and  strength, 
that  they  may,  when  older,  be  permitted  to 
read  certain  masterpieces  unedited  and  un- 
expurgated.  By  the  time  a  boy  and  girl  are 
fifteen  or  sixteen  years  of  age  their  moral 
sense  should  have  been  so  trained  that,  in- 
dependent of  the  judgment  or  conscience  of 
others,  they  should  be  able  to  perceive  for 
themselves  when  an  author  fails  to  uphold 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    119 

uniformly  high  standards  of  virtue,  or  con- 
fuses falsehood  with  truth.  This  opinion  does 
not  apply  to  literature  which  is  perverting  — 
such  writings  are  injurious  to  child  or  adult. 
The  following  list  of  books  is  arranged 
according  to  the  plan  of  reading  outlined  in 
this  chapter.  Whenever  possible  inexpensive 
versions  are  quoted  as  well  as  fine  gift-books. 

BOOKS  OF  BALLADS,  EPICS,  AND  ROMANCES 

(For  modem  romances  see  Classics  and  Standards,  page 
154.  For  editions,  publishers,  and  prices  see  Purchase  List 
of  Children's  Books,  page  302.) 

Ballad  Collections 

Ballad  Book.  (Bates.) 

Inexpensive  collection  of  ballads,  traditional,  super- 
stitious, romantic,  and  domestic.  Another  excellent 
but  inexpensive  collection  is  "Representative  English 
and  Scottish  Popular  Ballads,"  edited  by  Witham. 

Blue  Poetry  Book.  (Lang.) 

Ballads  and  poems  of  action.  Gift-book  bound  in 
blue  and  gold,  vs^ith  numerous  illustrations. 

Book  of  Old  English  Ballads.  (Mabie.) 

A  limited  selection  of  the  most  famous  ballads,  il- 
lustrated by  George  Wharton  Edwards.  Attractively 
bound. 


I20       The  Children's  Reading 

Robin  Hood.  (Perkins.) 

Old  English  ballads  of  the  bold  outlaw  and  his 
merry-men,  with  colored  pictures  by  Lucy  Fitch 
Perkins. 

The  Boy's  Percy.  (Lanier.) 

The  standard  and  best  collection  for  young  people, 
selected  by  Sidney  Lanier  from  Bishop  Percy's 
"  Reliques  of  Ancient  English  Poetry."  Substantially 
bound  but  unattractive  to  the  eye. 

Ballads  retold  in  Prose 

Ballads  in  Prose.  (Macleod.) 

Stories  of  Patient  Griselda,  the  Blind  Beggar's 
Daughter,  Robin  Hood,  and  other  ballads.  The  au- 
thor has  retained  much  of  the  original  language, 
transposing  words  in  order  to  break  the  rhythm. 
Attractively  illustrated. 

Children's  Tales  from  Scottish  Ballads.    (Grier- 
son.) 

Tales  of  Black  Agnace,  Thomas  the  Rhymer,  Sir 
Patrick  Spens,  the  Wizard  Michael  Scott,  and  other 
heroes  and  heroines  of  Scottish  song.  Interesdng 
story-book,  and  useful  to  the  story-teller.  Colored 
illustrations. 

Merry  Adventures  of  Robin  Hood.  (Pyle.) 

Howard  Pyle  has  done  for  the  Robin  Hood  legends 
what  Hawthorne  did  for  the  classic  tales;  he  has 
made  his  material  over  into  a  literary  work  peculiarly 
his  own,  and  he  has  added  another  classic  to  the 
children's  shelves.  The  book  is  illustrated  by  the 
author. 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    121 

Old  Ballads  in  Prose.  (Tappan.) 

Charming,  simple  renditions  of  such  ballads  as 
"Saddle  to  Rags,"  "Willie  Wallace,"  "Cat- 
skin,"  "  Patient  Annie,"  "  Earl  Mar's  Daughter," 
and  "The  King  and  the  Miller  of  Mansfield." 
Useful  for  story-telling. 

Stories  from  Famous  Ballads.  (Greenwood.) 

Inexpensive  volume  of  romantic  stories  edited  by 
Caroline  Bumite. 

Story  of  Beowulf 

Beowulf.  (Child.) 

Beowulf  with  the  Finnesburh  Fragment. 

Stories  of  Beowulf.  (Marshall.) 

The  Anglo-Saxon  saga  retold  in  simple  and  excellent 
English.  Heroic  qualities  are  emphasized.  Colored 
pictures. 

Stories^  of  Siegfried  and  other  Northern  Heroes 
Heroes  of  Iceland.  (French.) 

Adapted  from  Dasent's  "Story  of  Burnt  Njal.** 
May  be  used  to  introduce  young  people  to  Morris's 
and  Magnusson's  *'Heimskringla." 

Grettir  the  Strong.  (French.) 

The  tragedy  of  this  famous  Icelandic  outlaw  retold 
from  Morris's  version.  Vivid,  well  told,  and  shows 
the  operation  of  tribal  laws. 

Gudrun.  (Schmidt.) 

A  prose  rendering  of  the  "  Lay  of  Gudrun."  Sim- 
ple, short,  and  inexpensive.  Translated  from  the 
German  by  Upton. 


122       The  Children's  Reading 

Stories  from  Wagner.  (McSpadden.) 

Wagner  drew  much  of  his  material  for  **  The  Ni- 
belungen  Ring  "  from  both  the  • '  Volsunga  Saga ' '  and 
the  "Nibelungenlied. "  The  stories  are  retold  in 
straightforward,  vigorous  English.  Inexpensive  ver- 
sion.   Contains  also  stories  of  other  Wagner  operas. 

Stories    of  the    Kings  of  Norway.    (Morris  and 
Magnusson.) 

**  The  Hcimslcringla,"  being  volumes  3-5  of  the 
**  Saga  Library,"  done  into  English  from  the  Ice- 
landic. Romantic  and  thrilling.  For  young  people 
and  adults. 

Story  of  Siegfried.  (Baldwin.) 

The  best  rendition  for  children  of  the  Siegfried  le- 
gends, based  on  the  **  Eddas,"  the  "Volsunga 
Saga,"  and  the  "Nibelungenlied."  Interesting  and 
useful  to  the  story-teller. 

Story  of  Sigurd  the  Volsung.  (Morris.) 

A  p>oeric  version  for  young  people  and  adults.  '*  The 
very  breath  of  the  North  seems  to  flow  across  these 
lines  as  the  polar  wind  across  the  green  waves  of  the 
North  Sea." 

Story  of  Frithiof 

Frithiofs  Saga.  (Tegner.) 

A  popular  translation  is  by  Holcomb,  and  selections 
from  the  saga  are  charmingly  translated  by  Long- 
fellow under  the  rides  '*  Frithiofs  Homestead," 
«*  Sledge- Ride  on  the  Ice,"  "  Frithiofs  Tempu- 
tion,"  and  "  Frithiofs  Farewell." 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    123 

Northland  Heroes.  (Holbrook.) 

Stories  of  Frithiof  and  Beowulf  very  much  con- 
densed and  simplified.  Inexpensive.  A  short  but  ex- 
cellent version  is  **  Frithiof  Saga"  by  Schmidt. 

Stories  from  the  Shah  Nameh 

Sohrab  and  Rustum.  (Arnold.) 

The  famous  poem  by  Matthew  Arnold.  Good  to 
read  aloud. 

Stories  of  the  Persian  Heroes.  (Wilmot-Buxton.) 

An  imaginative  and  well-written  rendition.  Another 
good  version  is  the  '*  Story  of  Rustem,'*  by  E.  D, 
Renninger. 

Stories  of  the  Cid,  and  Amadis  of  Gaul 
A  Knight  Errant.  (Davidson.) 

Story  of  Amadis  of  Gaul  retold  from  Southey's 
translation.  Attractive  cover,  and  colored  pictures 
by  H.  M.  Brock. 

Ancient  Spanish  Ballads.  (Lockhart.) 

Stirring  translations,  including  the  ballads  of  the  Cid. 
Good  to  read  aloud. 

The  Story  of  the  Cid.  (Wilson.) 

Prose  tales  telling  of  the  valiant  deeds  of  the  Cid 
Campeador. 

Some  Celtic  Heroes  and  Heroines 

Poems  of  Ossian.  (MacPherson.) 

Weird,  poetic  tales  of  Fingal  and  other  heroes.  Read 
aloud  to  young  people. 


124       The  Children's  Reading 

Fales  of  the  Enchanted  Islands  of  the  Atlantic. 
(Higginson.) 

Contains  among  other  things  the  story  of"  Taliessin 
of  the  Radiant  Brow." 

The  Boy's  Cuchulain.  (Hull.) 

A  romantic  retelling  of  Irish  hero  legends. 

Stories  from  Spenser 

Faerie  Queene.  (Spenser.) 

The  versions  of  Macleod  and  Royde-Smith  may  be 
used  to  prepare  the  children  to  enjoy  this  poem. 

Stories  from  the  Faerie  Queene.  (Macleod.) 

A  close  prose  rendering  of  the  original  poem.  Illus- 
trated and  attractive.  Less  expensive  than  "  Una  and 
the  Red  Cross  Knight." 

Una  and  the  Red  Cross  Knight.  (Royde-Smith.) 

Retold  in  charming  prose.  Bits  of  the  original  poem 
are  woven  into  the  stories.   Illustrated  gift-book. 

Stories  from  Chaucer 
Canterbury  Tales.  (Chaucer.) 
Modern  English  paraphrase. 

Stories  from  Chaucer.  (McSpadden.) 

One  of  the  best  prose  renderings  of  Chaucer.  Parts 
of  the  original  poems  are  woven  into  the  narradvea. 
Inexpensive. 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    125 

Tales  of  the  Canterbury  Pilgrims.  (Darton.) 

Retold  from  Chaucer,  Lydgate,  and  others.  Eng- 
lish vigorous.  Spirited  illustrations  by  Hugh  Thom- 
son. Stories  retain  much  of  Chaucer's  optimism, 
humor,  and  gentle  courtesy. 

Legends  of  King  Arthur 
Idylls  of  the  King.  (Tennyson.) 

These  poetic  and  ethical  versions  of  the  King  Arthur 
legends  should  be  read  aloud  after  the  children  have 
enjoyed  the  rendition  from  Malory  and  Howard 
Pyle's  stories. 

King  Arthur  Series.  (Pyle.) 

Four  volumes  giving  the  history  of  King  Arthur  and 
the  Knights  of  the  Round  Table.  Their  order  is, 
**  Story  of  King  Arthur,"  "  The  Champions  of  the 
Round  Table,"  "Sir  Launcelot  and  his  Compan- 
ions." "  The  Story  of  the  Grail,"  and  "  The  Pass- 
ing of  Arthur."  Treatment  strong  and  unsenti- 
mental. Follow  with  Tennyson's  **  Idylls  of  the 
King." 

The  Boy's  King  Arthur.  (Lanier.) 

Edited  from  Sir  Thomas  Malory's  **  Morte  Dar- 
thur. ' '  This  is  the  standard  edition  for  young  people, 
but  it  is  most  unattractive  in  binding  and  print.  A 
more  popular  edition,  also  based  on  Malory,  is 
Macleod's  **Book  of  King  Arthur  and  his  Noble 
Knights. ' '  The  latter  is  well  illustrated  and  attractive. 
A  cheap  rendition,  short  and  not  so  interesting,  is 
that  of  Stevens  and  Allen. 


126       The  Children's  Reading 

Legends  of  Charlemagne  and  his  Paladins. 
Song  of  Roland.  (Butler.) 

English  prose  translation  of  this  famous  French  song. 
Stories  of  Charlemagne.  (Church.) 

And  of  the  twelve  peers  of  France.  A  stronger  but  less 
poetic  version  than  Baldwin's  *•  Story  of  Roland.** 
Stories  of  Childe  Roland.  (Marshall.) 

Short  Stories.  Treatment  romantic  and  style  pictur- 
esque. Colored  illustrations.  For  younger  children 
than  the  renditions  by  Baldwin  or  Church.  Popu- 
lar and  inexpensive. 

Story  of  Roland.  (Baldwin.) 

A  prose  version  which  with  poetic  spirit  treats  of 
the  adventures  and  exploits  of  Roland,  Oliver,  Rei- 
nold,  and  Ogier  the  Dane. 

Virgil 
iEneid.  (Virgil.)  ^ 

The  rhymed  version  of  Conington  may  be  used,  or 
the  translation  into  blank  verse  by  Cranch. 

Stories  from  the  iEneid.  (Havell.) 

Well  rendered  and  interesting.  Illustrated. 

Homer 
Iliad.  (Homer.) 

Two  good  translations  for  use  with  young  people  are 
that  of  Bryant  translated  into  blank  verse,  and  the 
prose  version  of  Lang,  Leaf,  and  Myers. 

Odyssey.  (Homer.) 

Bryant's  translation  in  blank  verse,  and  the  prose 
version  by  Professor  Palmer. 


Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances    127 

Stories  from  Homer.  (Church.) 

With  twenty-four  colored  illustrations  from  designs 
by  Flaxman.  The  best  one-volume  edition  of  tales 
from  the  Greek  epics.  Also  published  in  more  ex- 
tended form,  in  two  volumes,  under  the  titles 
'♦  Story  of  the  Iliad,"  and  "  Story  of  the  Odyssey." 
Another  excellent  illustrated  two-volume  edition 
of  the  tales  is  that  prepared  by  Professor  Havell. 

Story  of  the  Golden  Age.  (Baldwin.) 

Legends  showing  the  causes  of  the  Trojan  War,  end- 
ing where  the  Iliad  begins.   Delightfully  retold. 

Miscellaneous  Stories  from  Old  Romances 
Book  of  Romance.  (Lang.) 

Stories  of  King  Arthur,  Robin  Hood,  Wayland  the 
Smith,  and  other  heroes.  Many  pictures.  Uniform 
with  the  **  Colored  Fairy  Books." 

Seven  Champions  of  Christendom.  (Cartwright.) 

Adventures  of  St.  George,  St.  Denis,  St.  James, 
St.  Andrew,  St.  Patrick,  and  others.  How  they 
conquered  pagans,  rescued  distressed  damsels,  and 
rid  the  world  of  necromancers,  dragons,  giants, 
and  other  evils.  Retold  in  quaint  English  from 
"  The  Famous  Historie  of  the  Seven  Champions  of 
Christendom"  written  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

Stories  from  Don  Quixote.  (Havell.) 

A  dignified  and  most  interesting  volume  of  selections 
from  this  work.  Well  worth  placing  in  the  hands 
of  every  young  person.  Another  good  version  for 
younger  children  is  that  edited  by  Judge  Parry  and 
illustrated  in  color  by  Walter  Crane. 


128        The  Children's  Reading 

Stories   from   Old  French  Romance.    (Wilmot- 
Buxton.) 

Charlemagne  legends,  and  stories  from  such  French 
romance  as  "  Aucassin  and  Nicolette,"  '« Con- 
stans  the  Emperor,"  and  '*  William  and  the  Were- 
wolf." 

Tales  from  the  Alhambra.  (Irving.) 

A  most  attractive  selection  from  these  romanric  tales, 
edited  by  Josephine  Brower,  and  illustrated  by  C.  E. 
Brock.  Good  to  read  aloud.  May  be  followed  by 
"The  Alhambra,"  with  illustrations  by  Pennell. 

Wonder-Book  of  Old  Romance.  (Darton.) 

A  gift-book.  Illustrated  by  A.  G.  Walker,  and  tell- 
ing in  delightful  fashion  the  stories  of  *'  William  and 
the  Werewolf,"  "King  Robert  of  Sicily,"  "Sir 
Cleges  and  the  Cherries,"  "King  Horn,"  "Guy 
of  Warwick,"  and  other  tales  not  usually  included 
in  collections  for  children. 


CHAPTER  IX 

POETRY  AND  RHYMES 

«*  And  fir  sty  truly  y  to  all  them  that,  professing  learning, 
in'veigh  against  poetry,  may  justly  be  objected,  that  they  go 
very  near  to  ungratefulness  to  seek  to  deface  that,  ivhich,  in 
the  noblest  nations  and  languages  that  are  knonvn,  hath  been 
the  first  light-gi'ver  to  ignorance,  and  first  nurse,  ivhose  milk 
by  little  and  little  enabled  them  to  feed  aftertjuards  of  tougher 
knonvledges.''^  —  Sir  Philip  Sidney. 

IT  may  have  occurred  to  the  reader  that  in 
previous  chapters  undue  stress  has  been 
laid  on  the  ethical  and  aesthetic  content  of 
folk-story  and  song,  and  little  or  nothing  said 
of  that  important  thing  —  literary  form. 
This  omission  is  not  because  the  writer 
thinks  form  of  no  consequence,  but  because 
in  the  early  education  of  children  the  char- 
acter of  the  ideas  implanted  is  most  impor- 
tant. Form  is  but  a  means  to  an  end.  It 
may  make  gracious  the  message  it  conveys. 
Ideas  or  suggestions  presented  in  weak  or 
uninteresting  style,  and  in  prosy  or  limited 
vocabulary,  lose  their  force  and  fail  to  make 


130       The  Children's  Reading 

the  desired  deep  impression  on  the  mind. 
Ungrammatical  or  otherwise  incorrect  Eng- 
lish helps  to  destroy  a  child's  taste,  and 
accustoms  him  to  language  that  will,  in 
its  turn,  weaken  his  powers  of  expres- 
sion. 

Harmony  of  expression,  fine  or  noble 
language,  not  only  satisfy  taste  but  stir 
thought  to  action,  and  often  to  imitation; 
this  is  notably  true  of  the  effects  of  poetry. 
An  interesting  proof  of  this  may  be  found 
in  the  early  compositions  of  many  poets 
whose  first  efforts,  consciously  or  uncon- 
sciously, are  direct,  though  sometimes  weak, 
imitations  of  favorite  authors  who  impressed 
themselves  on  the  minds  of  the  young  en- 
thusiasts. We  have  already  seen  that  Mas- 
son  finds  in  Milton's  early  writings  evi- 
dences of  the  influences  of  Du  Bartas,  Spenser, 
and  other  poets,  and  that  Milton  began  to 
compose  at  the  age  of  ten.  Bums,  writing  of 
his  own  early  reading,  and  referring  to  a  vol- 
ume of  English  songs,  says  :  "  The  collection 
of  songs  was  my  vade  mecum.  I  pored  over 
them,  driving  my  cart,  or  walking  to  labor, 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  131 

song  by  song,  verse  by  verse,  carefully  not- 
ing the  true,  tender,  or  sublime,  from  affec- 
tation and  fustian.  I  am  convinced  I  owe  to 
this  practice  much  of  my  critic-craft,  such  as 
it  is."  ■   . 

To  this  point  writes  Stedman:  "One 
poet's  early  song,  for  example,  has  closely 
echoed  Keats;  another's,  Tennyson;  after- 
ward, each  has  given  us  a  motive  and  a 
method  of  his  own,  yet  he  was  first  as  much 
a  pupil  of  an  admirable  teacher  as  those 
widely  differing  artists.  Couture  and  Millet, 
were  pupils  of  Delaroche.  Still  another 
began  with  the  Italian  poets,  and  this  by  a 
fortunate  chance,  —  or  rather,  let  us  say,  by 
that  mysterious  law  which  decrees  that  gen- 
ius shall  find  its  own  natural  sustenance.  In 
time  he  developed  his  own  artistic  and 
highly  original  note,  with  a  spirituality  con- 
firmed by  that  early  pupilage." 

And  in  the  ranks  of  more  ordinary  mor- 
tals, who  is  there  that  has  not,  in  the  enthu- 
siasm of  youthful  literary  aspirations,  mod- 
eled his  early  efforts  after  some  master  poet, 
novelist,  or  dramatist?  And  weak  though 


132       The  Children's  Reading 

the  resultant  compositions  may  have  been, 
yet  those  masters  exerted  an  influence  on 
the  tastes  of  their  neophytes,  and  possibly 
urged  them  on  to  more  ambitious  expres- 
sion. 

The  educational  function  of  poetry  as  a 
formative  of  style  and  expression  is  therefore 
important  Fts  appeal  to  a  child's  native  sense 
of  rhythm,  and  to  his  delight  in  ethically  and 
aesthetically  clothed  thought,  proves  beyond 
question  that  poetry  is  an  essential  factor  in  a 
child's  mental  development.  The  evolution 
of  his  taste  in  verse  is  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting and  concrete  expressions  we  have  of 
the  gradual  unfolding  of  a  child's  interests 
and  of  the  growth  of  his  inner  life.  We  note, 
through  changes  in  taste,  that  gradual  transi- 
tion from  the  play-life  of  early  childhood — 
the  self-unconscious  period,  during  which  a 
child  projects  himself  into  the  state  or  life  of 
objects  and  living  things  around  him — to 
that  stage  of  more  mature  self-contemplation 
when  "  shades  of  the  prison-house  begin  to 
close  upon  the  growing  boy." 

This  growth  manifests  itself  first  through 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  133 

the  love  of  nursery  rhymes,  which  develops 
early  into  an  appreciation  for  other  forms  of 
poetry  and  rhyme;  for  the  rhymed  proverb 
and  fable ;  the  moral  tale  in  verse,  as  exemp- 
lified by  the  Lambs,  the  Taylors,  the  Carys, 
and  Dr.  Hoffmann ;  the  songs  of  play-life, 
such  as  those  of  Lucy  Larcom,  Eugene 
Field,  James  Whitcomb  Riley,  and  Robert 
Louis  Stevenson ;  and  verses  of  fancy,  the 
best  examples  of  which  may  be  found  in 
"  Songs  of  Innocence,"  by  William  Blake, 
and  in  the  poems  of  William  Allingham. 
•  Then  comes  the  period  of  intense  ab- 
sorption in  romantic  verse,  including  ancient 
ballads,  modern  imitations,  and  such  poems 
as  Longfellow's  "  Hiawatha,"  "  Tales  of  a 
Wayside  Inn,"  and  "  Evangeline  " ;  Tenny- 
son's "  Sir  Galahad,"  "  Lady  of  Shalott,"  the 
"  Idylls  of  the  King  ";  Scott's  "Marmion," 
"  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  and  other  poems ;  and 
last,  but  not  least,  the  fanciful  or  plaintive 
song  and  lyric. 

If  the  love  of  poetry  is  nourished  to  that 
point  where  it  is  no  longer  merely  a  phase 
of  the  sentimental  or  emotional  side  of  youth. 


134       The  Children's  Reading 

but  has  become  a  part  of  the  inner  life  of  the 
individual  boy  and  girl,  the  young  people 
will  pass  enthusiastically  to  the  enjoyment 
of  Keats,  Shelley,  Moore,  and  other  poets, 
whose  strongest  appeal  is  to  youthX  All  of 
which  reading  will  prepare  the  way  for  the 
riper  appreciation  of  such  philosophic  poets 
as  Milton,  Dante,  and  Wordsworth. 

To  derive  the  keenest  pleasure  from  poetry  I 
it  should  be  read  aloud.  An  occasional  po- 
etry-hour may  liven  the  regular  reading  pro- 
gramme. It  is  best  to  read  at  first  from  good 
collections.  This  insures  a  catholic  taste  and 
a  knowledge  of  many  poets.  "The  Posy 
Ring  "  may  be  followed  by  Repplier's  "  Book 
of  Famous  Verse,"  and  "  Golden  Numbers  " 
by  Palgrave's  "  Golden  Treasury  "  or  "  The 
Oxford  Book  of  English  Verse."  If  preferred, 
after  finishing  "  The  Posy  Ring  "  and  the 
"Book  of  Famous  Verse,"  one  may  read 
from  the  poets  Longfellow,  Whittier,  Bryant, 
and  Tennyson.  Some  children  are  eager  to 
memorize  and  recite,  and  any  of  the  volumes 
listed  below  offer  good  material  for  this  pur- 
pose. 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  135 

books  of  poetry  and  rhymes 

(For  other  books  of  poetry  see  Easy  Reading,  page  62. 
Ballads,  Epics,  and  Romances,  page  119,  Religious  Books, 
page  268.  For  editions,  publishers,  and  prices,  see  Purchase 
List  of  Children's  Books,  page  302.) 

Collections 
Book  of  Famous  Verse.  (Repplier.) 

A  collection  that  is  especially  fine  for  boys.  Con- 
tains martial  songs,  ballads,  story-telling  poems,  && 
well  as  many  short  lyrics  and  rhymes. 

Book  of  Verses  for  Children.  (Lucas.) 

About  two-hundred  old  prbverbs,  nonsense  rhymes, 
old-fashioned  story-telling  poems,  and  other  verses. 
Illustrated  by  Bedford.  May  be  read  after  Mother 
Goose. 

Children's  Book  of  Poetry.  (Coates.) 

A  most  popular  and  comprehensive  collection  of 
homely  old-fashioned  poems  written  for  children. 
The  compiler  has  consulted  the  children's  tastes 
rather  than  literary  requirements. 

Golden  Numbers.  (Wiggin  and  Smith.) 

This  and  its  companion  volume  **The  Posy  Ring  " 
are  collections  of  song  and  verse  selected  for  their 
literary  quality  as  well  as  for  their  appeal  to  children 
and  young  people.  Contain  many  poems  not  usually 
found  in  other  anthologies .  The  arrangement  is  orig- 
inal and  fanciful.  "The  Posy  Ring"  should  be 
read  first. 


136       The  Children's  Reading 

Golden  Treasury.  (Palgrave.) 

Every  older  boy  or  girl  should  be  familiar  with  this 
classic  collection  of  English  sonnets,  lyrics,  and 
songs.  Acquaintance  with  this  book  alone  will  form 
a  taste  for  the  best  of  poetry.  Another  fine  and  more 
general  collection  is  *'  The  Oxford  Book  of  English 
Verse,"  edited  by  Quiller-Couch. 

St.  Nicholas  Christmas  Book. 

Stories  and  verses  selected  from  the  volumes  of 
"St.  Nicholas  Magazine."  Attractive  cover.  Fan- 
ciful and  charming  illustrations.   For  young  children. 

The  Book  of  Christmas.  (Mabie.) 

Songs,  essays,  short  stories,  legends,  and  descrip- 
tions of  Christmas  festivities  in  other  lands  and  ages. 
Literary  in  tone.  Charmingly  bound.  For  young 
people  and  adults.  Another  Christmas  collection,  a 
charming  gift-book  for  younger  children,  is  Dier's 
"  Children's  Book  of  Christmas." 

The  Heart  of  Youth.  (Gilder.) 

A  collection  of  poems  especially  suitable  for  young 
girls.  Selected  with  literary  taste  and  with  sympathy 
for  youth. 

Children's  Own  Poets 
Ballads  for  Little  Folk,  (Alice  and  Phoebe  Cary.) 

Verses  about  farm  life,  playmates,  flowers,  insects,  and 
animals.   Popular  with  little  children.   Illustrated. 

Child's  Garden  of  Verses.  (Stevenson.) 

With  twelve  full-page  pictures  in  color  and  pen  and 
ink,  by  Jessie  Willcox  Smith.  Gift-book.  For  little 
folks'  edition,  see  page  66. 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  137 

Childhood  Songs.  (Larcom.) 

Many  poems  of  domestic  and  play  life.  Forty-three 
illustrations. 

Child  Verse.  (Tabb.) 

Lyrics  both  gay  and  grave.  Delicate  and  tender  in 
tone.   For  children  and  adults. 

Little-Folk  Lyrics.  (Sherman.) 

Fanciful  verses,  and  songs  about  flowers  and  birds. 
Illustrated. 

Nonsense  Books.  (Lear.) 

Ruskin  says:  •*  Surely  the  most  beneficent  and  in- 
nocent of  all  children's  nonsense  books  yet  produced 
is  the  *  Book  of  Nonsense,'  with  its  corollary  carols, 
inimitable  and  refreshing,  and  perfect  in  rhythm.  I 
really  don't  know  any  author  to  whom  I  am  half  as 
grateful  for  my  idle  self  as  Edward  Lear."  "The 
Nonsense  Books  "  come  bound  in  one  large  volume, 
with  original  illustrations  by  Mr.  Lear;  also  in  three 
separate  volumes,  most  delightfully  illustrated  by 
L.  Leslie  Brooke. 

Once  upon  a  Time.  (Wilkins.) 

Rhymes  and  jingles  and  fairy  poems.  Illustrated. 

Original  Poems.  (Ann  and  Jane  Taylor.) 

Such  poems  as  •*  Meddlesome  Matty,"  **  Greedy 
Richard,"  "The  Little  Boy  who  made  himself 
Sick,"  "The  Wasp  and  the  Bee,"  and  many 
other  moral  rhymes.  Contains  also  a  few  verses  by 
Adelaide  O'KeefFe.  Fanciful  pictures  by  Bedford. 
Another  edition  of  selected  verses,  called  *'  Little 
Ann,  and  Other  Poems,"  is  delightfully  illustrated 
by  Kate  Greenaway. 


138       The  Children's  Reading 

Pocketful  of  Posies.  (Brown.) 

Pretty,  childlike  verses  about  such  wonders  as  **The 
Pummy  and  the  Wicked  Gluglu  Bird,"  "An  Ad- 
venture in  Cookie  Land,"  and  "  The  Fate  of  a 
Greedy  Pincushion." 

Poetry  for  Children.  (Charles  and  Mary  Lamb.) 

The  "gentle  Elia "  and  his  sister  wrote  quaint 
moral  verses  for  children.  Some  of  the  verses  are, 
"The  Boy  and  the  Skylark,"  "The  Magpie's 
Nest,"  "  Choosing  a  Name,"  "  Cleanliness,"  and 
"The  Broken  Doll." 

Rhymes  of  Childhood.  (Riley.) 

Also,  "Book  of  Joyous  Children."  Two  volumes 
of  fun,  mischief,  and  humor,  told  in  rhyme  that 
delights  children.  Contains,  among  other  things, 
"The  Dream  March,"  "The  Boy  Patriot," 
"  Nine  Little  Goblins,"  "  The  Old  Hay-Mow," 
"The  Man  in  the  Moon,"  and  other  rhymes  of 
the  "  Raggedy  Man." 

Sing-Song.  (Christina  Rossetti.) 

Short  lyrical  verses,  with  much  poetic  quality. 
Tender  and  fanciful.    Many  pictures. 

Songs  of  Innocence.  (Blake.) 

Imaginative  songs  of  nature  and  child  life.  Contains 
also  poems  of  pathos  and  religious  sentiment.  No 
poet  surpasses  Blake  in  his  power  to  enter  into  the 
fresh,  spontaneous  joy  of  little  children.  Some  of 
his  poems  are  "The  Lamb,"  "Spring,"  "In- 
fant Joy,"  and  "  The  Laughing  Song." 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  139 

Stories  and  Poems  for  Children.  (Thaxter.) 

Poems  of  nature,  especially  of  the  seaside.  Literary 
in  quality  and  childlike.  Contains  also  pretty  stories. 
Some  of  the  poems  are  "The  Sandpiper,"  **  Pic- 
cola,"  and  "King  Midas." 

Sundown  Songs.  (Richards.) 

Merry  rhymes  for  very  little  people  who  enjoy 
Mother  Goose. 

When  Life  is  Young.  (Dodge.) 

Rhymes  and  jingles,  with  pictures,  humorous  and 
fanciful.  Originally  published  in  "  St.  Nicholas 
Magazine." 

With  Trumpet  and  Drum.  (Field.) 

Also,  "Love-Songs  of  Childhood."  Both  volumes 
contain  delightful  childlike  verses,  some  of  which  are 
"The  Duel,"  "  The  Sugar-Plum  Tree,"  "The 
Shut-Eye  Train,"  "Little  Blue  Pigeon,"  and 
**  Wynken,  Blynken,  and  Nod."  A  selection  of  the 
best  verses  is  published  under  the  title,  **  Lullaby- 
Land,"  and  is  illustrated  by  Charles  Robinson. 

Some  Poets  who  appeal  to  Young  People 

(Favorite  poems  selected  from  the  poets  listed  below 
may  be  found  in  anthologies  such  as  "Golden  Num- 
bers," "The  Golden  Treasury,"  and  "The  Oxford 
Book  of  English  Verse.") 

Abou  Ben  Adhem,  and  Selected  Poems.  (Hunt.) 


140       The  Children's  Reading 

Baby  Bell,  The  Little  Violinist,  and  Other  Verse 
and  Prose.  (Aldrich.) 

Some  of  the  verses  are  "  Alec  Yeaton's  Son," 
"Friar  Jerome's  Beautiful  Book,"  and  "Ode  on 
the  Unveiling  of  the  Shaw  Memorial." 

Golden  Book.  (Coleridge.) 

Contains,  among  other  things,  *'The  Rime  of  the 
Ancient  Mariner,"  «•  Christabel,"  and  •' Kubla 
Khan." 

Grandmother's  Story  of  Bunker  Hill  Battle,  and 
Other  Poems.  (Holmes.) 

Contains,  among  other  things,  "The  Flower  of 
Liberty,"  "The  Chambered  Nautilus,"  "The 
Ballad  of  the  Oysterman,"  "  The  Wonderfiil  Onc- 
Hoss  Shay,"  and  "  Old  Ironsides." 

Hermann  and  Dorothea.  (Goethe.) 
English  transladon  by  Frothingham. 

Intimations  of  Immortality,  and  Selected  Poems. 
(Wordsworth.) 

Among  the  poems  are  "We  are  Seven,"  "Lucy," 
and  "  The  World  b  too  much  with  Us." 

Lalla  Rookh.  (Moore.) 

An  Oriental  romance,  into  the  plot  of  which  are 
woven  thrilling  story-telling  poems  ;  some  of  which 
are  "The  Veiled  Prophet  of  Khorassan,"  "  Par- 
adise and  the  Peri,"  and  "  The  Fire- Worshippers.'* 

L' Allegro  and  II  Penseroso.  (Milton.) 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  141 

Lays  of  Ancient  Rome.  (Macaulay.) 
Horatius,  and  other  heroic  poems. 

Lays  of  the  Scottish  Cavaliers.  (Aytoun.) 

Among  the  lays  are  "The  Execution  of  Mont- 
rose," "The  Heart  of  the  Bruce,"  "The  Burial- 
March  of  Dundee,  and  "  The  Widow  of  Glencoe." 

Ode  to  the  West  Wind,  and  Selected  Poems. 
(Shelley.) 

Includes  "The  Sensitive  Plant,"  "The  Cloud,'* 
"To  a  Skylark,"  and  other  poems. 

Poems.  (Keats.) 

Includes,  among  other  poems,  **The  Eve  of  St. 
Agnes,"  "  Ode  on  a  Grecian  Urn."  "Ode  to  a 
Nightingale,"  "  Isabella,"  "  Endymion,"  and 
*♦  Hyperion." 

Poems.  (Longfellow.) 

The  children's  favorite  poet.  Among  the  most  pop- 
ular of  his  poems  are  "Hiawatha,"  "Tales  of  a 
Wayside  Inn,"  "Evangeline,"  "The  Psalm  of 
Life,"  "The  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus,"  and  "  The 
Skeleton  in  Armor." 

Poems.  (Scott.) 

The  poet-romancer.  The  most  popular  of  his  long 
poems  are  **  The  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  "The  Lord 
of  the  Isles,"  "Marmion,"  and  "The  Lay  of  the 
Last  Minstrel." 


142       The  Children's  Reading 

Poems.  (Tennyson.) 

Among  his  poems  most  enjoyed  by  young  people 
are  *'  The  Idylls  of  the  King,"  "  The  Princess," 
**  Maud,"  and  "Locksley  Hall  "  ;  also  the  shorter 
poems,  "The  Lady  of  Shalott,"  "Sir  Galahad," 
"The  Day-Dream,"  "The  Brook,"  "Lord  of 
Burleigh,"  "Lady  Clare,"  and  "The  Charge  of 
the  Light  Brigade." 

Poems  and  Songs.  (Burns.) 

Selections  including  **  Mary  Morrison,"  ««To  a 
Mountain  Daisy,"  "John  Anderson,"  and  "  High- 
land Mary." 

Selected  Poems.  (Byron.) 

Including  " Childe  Harold,"  and  "The  Prisoner 
ofChillon." 

Selected  Poems.  (Herrick.) 
Songs  and  lyrics. 

Selected  Poems.  (Schiller.) 

Translated  by  Bulwer-Lytton. 

Snow-Bound,  and  Selected  Poems.  (Whittier.) 

Includes,  among  other  things,  "Ichabod,"  "The 
Tent  on  the  Beach,"  "Skipper  Ireson's  Ride," 
and  "  Telling  the  Bees." 

Songs  and  Lyrics.  (Heine.) 

Thanatopsis,  and  Other  Poems.  (Bryant.) 

Includes,  among  other  things,  "The  Death  of  the 
Flowers,"   "The  Planting  of  the  Apple-Tree," 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  143 

«'The  Return  of  the  Birds/'  *'  Robert  of  Lincoln," 
"Song  of  Marion's  Men,"  *♦  To  the  Fringed 
Gentian,"  and  "To  a  Waterfowl." 

The  Blessed  Damozel.  (Rossetti.) 

The    Pleasures   of  Hope,  and    Selected   Poems. 
(Campbell.) 

Contains  also  "Lochiel's  Warning,"  and  **Lord 
Ullin's  Daughter." 

The  Sands  of  Dee,  and  Selected  Poems  and  Songs. 
(Kingsley.) 

Some  of  the  other  poems  are  "  The  Three  Fishers," 
"A  Farewell,"  and  "The  North- East  Wind." 

The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,  and  Selected  Poems. 
(Lowell.) 

A  few  of  the  other  poems  are  *•  The  Cathedral," 
*♦  Commemoration  Ode,"  "  The  Shepherd  of  King 
Admetus,"  and  "To  the  Dandelion." 

Song-Books  with  Music 
Christmas  Carols,  and  Hymns.  (Dann.) 

Another  inexpensive  and  excellent  edition  is  Tom- 
lin's  **  Christmas  Carols,  Ancient  and  Modern." 
For  other  books  of  hymns  see  pages  269-270. 

Kindergarten  Chimes.  (Wiggin.) 

Songs  and  games  composed  and  arranged  for  use 
with  little  children. 

Mother  Goose  Melodies  set  to  Music.  (Elliott.) 

Simple  melodies.   Many  pictures. 


144       The  Children's  Reading 

National,    Patriotic,   and    Typical    Airs  of   All 
Lands.  (Sousa.) 

Old  English  Singing-Games.  (Gomme.) 

Ten  well-known  games  with  music  and  illustrations. 
Among  the  games  are  "King  of  the  Barbaree," 
"Nuts  in  May,"  "Three  Knights  from  Spain," 
and  "  Oranges  and  Lemons." 

Pan  Pipes.  (Crane.) 

Old  songs  set  to  music.  Illustrated  by  the  compiler 
Walter  Crane. 

Riverside  Graded  Song-Book.  (Lawrence.) 

A  collection  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  poems  by  such 
authors  as  Longfellow,  Whittier,  Bums,  Shake- 
speare, Eugene  Field,  Tabb,  Tennyson,  and  Scott. 
Set  to  appropriate  music.  Published  in  two  parts. 
Inexpensive. 

St.  Nicholas  Songs.  (Pratt.) 

One  hundred  and  twelve  songs  collected  from  "St. 
Nicholas  Magazine,"  and  set  to  music  by  thirty- 
two  composers.  Illustrated. 

Songs  Every  Child  should  know.  (Bacon.) 

Songs  of  sentiment,  patriodsm,  national  hymns,  and 
fanciflil  poems  ;  accompanied  by  classic  or  other 
well-known  music.  Contains  such  familiar  songs  as 
"All  Thro'  the  Night,"  "  Annie  Laurie,"  " Auld 
Lang  Syne,"  *•  Bonnie  Doon,"  "  Batde  Hymn  of 
the  Republic,"  and  "Rule,  Britannia."  Another 
less  expensive  collection  is  Matthew's  "Songs  of 
All  Lands." 


Poetry  and  Rhymes  145 

Songs  of  Childhood.  (Field.) 

Words  by  Eugene  Field,  and  music  by  Reginald  de 
Koven  and  others. 

Stevenson  Song-Book.  (Stevenson.) 

Words  by  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  and  music  by 
various  composers.  Companion  volume  to  **  Songs 
of  Childhood." 


CHAPTER  X 

SOME    CLASSICS    AND   STANDARDS 

**  A  piict  of  literature  is  an  organism,  and  should,  tbere^ 
fore,  be  put  before  the  scholar,  no  matter  bo'xv young,  ivith  its 
bead  on,  and  standing  on  both  its  feet."  — Richard  Burton. 
"  The  importance  of  reading  habitually  the  best  books  be- 
comes apparent  nvhen  one  remembers  that  taste  depends  niery 
largely  on  the  standards  luith  ivhich  lue  are  familiar,  and 
that  the  ability  to  enjoy  the  best  and  only  the  best  is  conditioned 
upon  intimate  acquaintance  ivith  the  best.'"''  — Mabie. 

IT  is  of  course  unnecessary  to  argue  here 
for  the  educational  values  of  fine  prose 
literature  or  generally  accepted  standards, 
but  the  appended  list  of  books  offers  for  our 
consideration  some  interesting  side-ques- 
tions :  Shall  literature  be  given  to  children 
in  condensed  or  adapted  form  ?  How  much 
does  the  outward  appearance  of  a  book  in- 
fluence a  child's  taste  ?  What  place  has  the 
novel  in  a  young  girl's  reading  ? 

The  first  question  is  already  partially  an- 
swered in  a  preceding  chapter,  where  is  dis- 
cussed the  use  of  good  renditions  as  a  means 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     147 

of  leading  up  to  those  pieces  of  literature 
which  are  beyond  the  immediate  compre- 
hension of  children;  and  the  pathway  to 
which  must  be  blazed,  as  it  were,  by  literary 
guides. 

In  regard  to  such  juvenile  classics  as 
**  Robinson  Crusoe,"  "  Swiss  Family  Robin- 
son," "  Tom  Brown,"  "  Story  of  a  Bad  Boy," 
and  "  Heidi,"  there  seems  to  be  no  good  nor 
logical  reason  for  adapting  them  for-  child- 
ren's reading.  Their  very  strength  lies  in 
their  completeness.  They  become  weak  and 
insipid  when  rewritten  or  in  any  way  diluted. 
These  books,  with  the  exception  of  *'  Rob- 
inson Crusoe,"  were  written  for  children,  and 
have  been  enjoyed  complete  by  many  a  boy 
or  girl ;  therefore,  if  any  individual  child  can- 
not understand  them,  unless  rewritten,  he 
should  wait  until  mature  enough  to  enjoy 
them  without  adaptation.  This  same  argu- 
ment applies  equally  to  most  novels  and 
other  classics,  which  a  child  should  wait  to 
read  until  he  can  appreciate  them  in  their 
original  forms.  Collections  of  excerpts  from 
novels  are  not  in  the  same  category  with 


148       The  Children's  Reading 

adaptations.  Many  a  boy  or  girl  has  been 
drawn  by  fascinating  selections  to  the  read- 
ing of  novels  from  which  the  extracts  were 
taken.  Excerpts  do  not  take  the  place  of 
their  originals ;  they  lead  to  them. 

The  outward  form  of  a  book,  its  effect  on 
the  eye,  has  much  to  do  with  arousing  or 
depressing  a  child's  interest  in  it.  The 
writer  has  made  many  experiments  which 
help  to  prove  this  fact.  The  placing  on  tlie 
shelf  of  the  public  library  of  a  classic  in  text- 
book or  other  dull  cover,  and  printed  in 
small,  close-set  type,  insures  that  the  classic 
will  carry  out  the  saying :  "  Be  good  and 
you  '11  be  lonesome."  It  is  rarely  stolen,  and 
rarely  worn  out ;  two  proofs  of  unpopularity. 
But  place  on  the  shelf  the  same  work  in  a 
gayly  covered  edition,  illustrated  in  color, 
printed  in  clear  attractive  type,  and,  presto ! 
the  book  disappears  legitimately  or  other- 
wise. And  often  a  child  who  reads  this  at- 
tractive volume  will  tell  other  children  about 
the  story,  and,  behold,  the  formerly  despised, 
homely  volume  becomes  fashionable. 

A  child's  idea  of  an  attractively  bound 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     149 

book  is  not  according  to  the  aesthetic  taste 
of  the  literary  connoisseur.  The  book  that 
fills  a  child  with  keen  longing  to  read  or  to 
own  it  for  himself,  and  which  frequently  in- 
duces him  to  steal  from  the  library  shelves, 
is  the  one  with  a  bright  cover,  —  red  pre- 
ferably,—  illustrated  with  story-telling  pic- 
tures, and  rich  with  gilding.  A  classic  in 
such  guise  can  well  hold  its  own  against  the 
highly  decorated  modern  juvenile  that  drives 
the  text-book-covered  classic  into  humble 
shadow.  Little  books,  "pocket  editions," 
have  such  a  fascination  for  small  children 
that  hundreds  of  "  Peter  Rabbits,"  "  Benja- 
min Bunnies,"  and  "  Little  Girl  Blues " 
vanish  yearly  from  the  library  shelves. 
Many  libraries,  nowadays,  keep  these  pigmy 
beings  under  lock  and  key,  lending  them 
only  to  highly  respectable  infants. 

Titles,  too,  have  much  to  do  with  the 
popularity  of  a  book.  A  boy  will  fight  shy 
of  "  Baby  Elton,  Quarter-Back,"  and  "  The 
Calico  Cat " ;  both  titles  suggesting  infantile 
literature ;  and  a  child  will  often  ask  for  a 
book  by  titles  which  most  refreshingly  show 


150       The  Children's  Reading 

how  sounds  or  ideas  please;  some  such 
titles,  gathered  from  one  children's  library- 
department,  are:  "A  Book  of  Christian 
Giants,"  "Rebecca  on  Sunny  Jim's  Farm," 
"  The  Pound  of  Flesh  Book,"  "How  to  Keep 
it  When  You  Get  it,"  "  A  Biblical  Version 
of  the  Old  Testimony,"  "St.  Nicholas  on  a 
Crow,"  "Kate  Douglas  Wiggin  in  the  Cab- 
bage Patch,"  "  Sapolio  at  St.  Helena,"  "  A 
Preserved  Basket  of  Hounds,"  "Longleg's 
Poetry,"  "Dog  Quicksey,"  "Hans  Ander- 
sen's Christian  Fairy  Tales,"  and  "Jack  on 
the  Cornstalk." 

We  now  come  to  the  really  serious  and 
much-discussed  question — the  love-story  for 
the  young  girl.  As  soon  as  she  outgrows 
juvenile  books  she  plunges  into  the  reading 
of  full-fledged  novels.  In  this  she  is  fol- 
lowing a  natural  and  beautiful  instinct.  All 
she  needs  is  guidance,  and  to  be  restrained 
from  reading  the  painful,  degenerating  novels 
of  the  day.  She  should  be  taught  that  it  is  not 
the  reading  of  the  latest  fiction  that  makes 
an  educated  woman,  but  the  reading  of  books 
that  build  character  or  lead  to  wholesome 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     151 

thought,  whether  these  books  are  newly  pub- 
lished or  hundreds  of  years  old.  She  should 
be  kept  as  long  as  possible  in  the  high  realm 
of  romance  into  which  her  natural  instincts, 
if  encouraged,  will  lead  her,  so  that,  when 
judgment  is  mature,  she  may  return  thence 
"trailing  clouds  of  glory  "  from  the  world  of 
romantic  ideals,  which  will  help  her  to  meet 
in  a  nobler  and  truer  fashion  the  problems 
of  practical  life. 

Faithfulness  to  one  princess,  as  a  moral 
standard,  is  the  theme  of  many  of  the  best 
myths  and  fairy  stories.  The  Cupid  and 
Psyche  tale,  with  its  hundreds  of  variants, 
deals  poetically  and  forcefully  with  this  type 
of  loyalty.  The  prince's  perseverance  in  the 
face  of  difficulties  and  dangers,  in  order  to 
win  his  lady,  forms  the  plot  of  many  a  favo- 
rite book.  Much  of  the  finest  literature  — 
poems,  romances,  and  novels  —  deals  with 
this  subject.  How,  then,  can  the  mistaken 
reformers  of  children's  reading,  successfully 
shut  away  from  girls  all  references  to  love  ? 
They  try  to  do  this,  claiming  that  the  subject 
is  beyond  power  of  comprehension  of  young 


152       The  Children's  Reading 

people.  Surely  this  cannot  be  so,  when  one 
considers  that  the  strongest  natural  instinct 
of  girlhood  is  a  craving  for  romance  and  for 
a  hero  who  by  devotion  and  courage  wins  his 
bride.  This  instinct  cannot  be  killed.  It  can 
be  suppressed  or  perverted  by  bad  reading, 
but  it  is  as  much  a  part  of  a  girl  as  is  her 
heart-beat.  The  growing  girl  is  throwing 
out  delicate  mental  and  moral  tendrils  search- 
ing for  romai)ce  on  which  to  lean.  If  the  best 
romance  of  literature  is  shut  away  from  her 
she  will  read  instead  the  feverish,  sentimental 
novels  of  Mary  J.  Holmes,  or  some  of  the 
three  hundred  and  seventy-five  volumes  by 
Bertha  M.  Clay,  or  Mrs.  Southworth's  eighty- 
five  novels.  With  what  results  ?  The  girl's 
mind  becomes  filled  with  suggestions  of 
treachery,  jealousies,  evil  plots,  and  with 
wrong  ideas  of  what  marks  a  womanly  girl 
or  a  gentlewoman. 

There  are  many  wholesome  modem  nov- 
els that  appeal  to  the  girl  who  is  already 
lost  in  the  dizzy  mazes  of  the  family  story 
papers,  or  who  looks  forward  eagerly  to 
the  bi-monthly  story  by  Clay,  or  to  South- 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     153 

worth's  latest  fiction.  It  is  not  practical  to 
include  a  list  of  good  popular  novels  in  this 
volume,  but  the  worker  with  girls  will  find 
that  books  by  Rosa  Nouchette  Carey,  Clara 
Louise  Burnham,  E.  Marlitt,  Amanda  M. 
Douglas,  and  Amelia  E.  Barr  will  help  to 
break  the  yellow-novel  reading  habit. 

The  fiDllowing  list  of  books  is  not  on  the 
whole  a  popular  one.  It  is  prepared  for 
those  fortunate  boys  and  girls  whose  parents 
or  teachers  have  introduced  them  step  by 
step  to  fine  ennobling  literature,  and  who  are 
ready  to  take  keen  pleasure  in  stories  that 
have  character  and  strength.  Of  course  Miss 
Alcott's books,  "Treasure  Island,"  "Robin- 
son Crusoe,"  and  a  few  other  stories  are  al- 
ways popular,  and  may  be  used  to  lead 
to  the  other  books.  A  brief  list  of  dramatic 
works  and  essays  is  added.  The  whole  is 
merely  suggestive,  for  any  parent  can  con- 
tinue to  add  indefinitely  to  this  short  cata- 
logue of  good  things.  "Alice  in  Wonder- 
land," "  Gulliver's  Travels,"  and  many  other 
classics  are  listed  with  their  subjects  at  the 
end  of  other  chapters  in  this  volume. 


154       The   Children's   Reading 

SOME  CLASSIC  AND  STANDARD  BOOKS 

(For  editions,  publishers, and  prices,  see  Purchase  List  of 
Children's  Books,  page  302,) 

Children's  Own  Classic  and  Standard  Stories 
Being  a  Boy.   (Warner.) 

Delightful,  humorous  reminiscences  of  boy  life  on  a 
farm.    Illustrated  with  woodcuts. 

Castle  Blair.  (Shaw.) 

An  Irish  story,  of  which  Ruskin  writes:  it  *' is  good 
and  lovely  and  true,  having  the  best  description  of 
a  noble  child  in  it  (Winnie)  that  I  ever  read;  and 
nearly  the  best  description  of  the  next  best  thing  — 
a  noble  dog. '  * 

Child  Life  in  Prose.   (Whittier.) 

Short,  varied  stories  with  literary  flavor,  selected  from 
such  authors  as  Aldrich,  Dickens,  and  Lucy  Larcom. 
Gift-book  for  children  ten  to  twelve  years  old. 

Cuore.  (Amicis.) 

The  journal  of  an  Italian  schoolboy  is  made  the  ex- 
cuse for  recording  stories  told  by  the  schoolmaster, 
which,  together  with  incidents  from  school-life, 
make  the  book  interesting  to  boys.  The  author  em- 
bodies in  this  book  his  ideas  on  training  the  emo- 
tions. Ethics  of  every  day  are  touched  upon,  and 
for  the  most  part  treated  from  a  high  moral  stand- 
point. The  book  is  marred,  however,  in  two  or 
three  places  where  the  author  justifies  untruth  if  it 
has  a  generous  aim;  and  lightly  treats  cheating  at 
school  abetted  by  parents.  Contains  good  stories  to 
tell:  "The  Little  Vidcttc  of  Lombardy,"  "The 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     155 

Sardinian  Drummer-Boy,"  and  **King  Umberto.** 
Translated  from  the  Italian,  and  also  published  under 
the  title  "Heart." 

A  Dog  of  Flanders  and  Other  Stories.  (Ramee.) 
The  other  stories  are  "The  Niirnberg  Stove," 
"In  the  Apple-Country,"  "The  Little  Earl." 
Attractive  cover,  and  colored  illustrations  by  M.  L. 
Kirk.  Also  pubHshed,  each  story  separately,  in  four 
attractive,  inexpensive  volumes.  Good  to  read 
aloud.    "  Moufflou  "  is  published  separately. 

Fairchild  Family.    (Sherwood.) 

An  old-fashioned,  highly  moral  tale  of  the  doings  of 
three  little  children,  who,  the  preface  says,  "  were 
naughty  and  good,  happy  and  sorrowful,  when 
George  the  Third  was  still  on  the  throne;  when 
gentlemen  wore  blue  coats  with  brass  buttons,  knee- 
breeches,  and  woolen  stockings,  and  ladies  were  at- 
tired in  short  waists,  low  necks,  and  long  ringlets." 

Faith  Gartney's  Girlhood.    (Whitney.) 

Also  *♦  Summer  in  Leslie  Goldthwaite's  Life," 
"  We  Girls,"  "  Real  Folks,"  and  "  Other  Girls." 

Forgotten  Tales  of  Long  Ago.  (Lucas.) 

A  collection  of  tales  from  such  quaint  old  writers  as 
Maria  Edgeworth,  Jacob  Abbott,  the  Aikins,  Pris- 
cilla  Wakefield,  Peter  Parley,  and  G.  P.  R.  James. 
Delightfully  illustrated  by  Bedford.  Good  to  read 
aloud.  Should  precede  Maria  Edgeworth' s  "Par- 
ent's Assistant."  The  companion  volume  to  this 
is  "  Old-Fashioned  Tales,"  which  contains  among 
other  things,  Maria  Edgeworth' s  "  Purple  Jar  "  and 
stories  by  Barbauld,  Aikin,  Lamb,  and  Catherine 
Sinclair. 


Ni 


V| 


156       The  Children's  Reading 

Hans  Brinker.  (Dodge.) 

A  story  of  Dutch  pluck  and  good  will.  Well  writ- 
ten, and  .much  liked  by  children.  With  over  one 
hundred  illuttratiom  by  A.  B.  Doggett. 

Heidi.    (Spyri.) 

Story  of  the  Alps.  Contains  beautiful  descriptions 
of  Swiss  scenery  bright  with  the  color  of  Alpine 
flowers  and  cool  with  the  summer  breezes  blown 
from  snow-clad  mountain-tops.  The  Swiss  char- 
acters are  drawn  with  tender  pathos,  and  little 
Heidi's  nature  is  developed  with  skill  and  delicacy. 
It  is  a  child's  classic  and  should  be  read  aloud  to  be 
fully  enjoyed.  Another  charming  book  by  the  same 
author,  though  not  so  strong  as  Heidi,  is  "  Moni 
the  Goat  Boy." 

Jackanapes.   (Ewing.) 

An  attractive  edition  is  that  illustrated  by  Caldecott. 
Among  Mrs.  Ewing* s  other  well-known  books  are 
"Six  to  Sixteen,"  "Daddy  Darwin's  Dovecot," 
"Story  of  a  Short  Life,"  "Lob  Lie-by-the-Fire," 
and  "  Mary's  Meadow."  Mrs.  Ewing' s  tales  ap- 
peal especially  to  girls  between  ten  and  twelve  years 
of  age.  To  be  made  popular  the  stories  should  be 
read  aloud. 

Little  Women.  (Alcott.) 

A  story  that,  in  spite  of  its  lack  of  literary  quality, 
has  already  become  a  part  of  children's  literature. 
Miss  Alcott  not  only  presents  high  ideals,  but  she 
does  so  with  frankness  and  common  sense  very  con- 
vincing and  wholesome.  All  her  juvenile  stories  are 
good,  but  the  best  among  them  are  "  Little  Men," 
"Under  the  Lilacs,"   "Jack   and  Jill,"   "Old- 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     157 

Fashioned  Girl,"  **  Eight  Cousins,"  "Rose  in 
Bloom,"  and  two  collections  of  stories,  "Old- 
Fashioned  Thanksgiving,"  and  "Spinning  Wheel 
Stories." 

'  Men  of  Iron.  (Pyle.) 

Vigorous  story  of  knighthood  in  the  days  of  Henry 
IV  of  England.  Manly  in  tone,  exciting  in  inci- 
dent, and,  though  it  gives  much  historical  inform- 
ation, not  at  all  didactic.  "  Otto  of  the  Silver 
Hand ' '  is  another  story  by  the  same  author.  It 
tells  of  adventvu-es  in  the  days  of  Rudolph  of  Haps- 
burg  and  of  the  feuds  of  the  robber  barons.  Both 
books  are  illustrated  by  the  author. 

Mysterious  Island.    (Verne.) 

Other  popular  books  by  this  famous  French  author 
are  "  Around  the  World  in  Eighty  Days,"  and 
"Twenty  Thousand  Leagues  under  the  Sea." 

Nelly's  Silver  Mine.  (Jackson.) 

A  story  of  a  pioneer  family's  struggles  in  Colorado. 
Contains  fine  description  of  scenery,  and  much 
interesting  incident. 

Parent's  Assistant.   (Edgeworth.) 

In  spite  of  the  old-school  moralizing  in  these  tales, 
children,  especially  girls,  between  ten  and  twelve 
years  of  age  enjoy  them  very  much.  The  best  liked 
stories  are  "  Lazy  Lawrence,"  *•  Simple  Susan," 
"Waste  not  Want  not,"  and  "Barring  Out." 
An  attractive  edition  is  that  with  introduction  by 
Austin  Dobson,  and  illustrations  by  Hugh  Thom- 
son; it  is  published  under  the  title  "  Tales  from 
Maria  Edgeworth." 


158       The  Children's  Reading 

Prince  and  the  Pauper.   (Twain.) 

A  semi-historical  story  of  the  time  of  the  boy  king, 
Edward  of  England.  Very  humorous  and  romantic. 
Good  to  read  aloud. 

Quest  of  the  Four-Leaved  Clover.  (Laboulaye.) 

This  is  an  adaptation,  not  a  translation,  from  the 
French  story,  **  Abdallab. ' '  It  tells  of  Arabian  desert 
life,  and  of  the  noble  and  heroic  deeds  of  a  Bedouin 
Arab.  Illustrated  by  Copeland,  and  adapted  by  W. 
T.  Field.    Good  to  read  aloud. 

Robinson  Crusoe.   (Defoe.) 

Of  this  book  D.  G.  Mitchell  says:  **If  you  should 
ever  have  a  story  of  your  own  to  tell,  and  want  to 
tell  it  well,  I  advise  you  to  take  '  Robinson  Crusoe  * 
for  a  model."  This  classic,  originally  written  for 
grown  people,  but  now  become  the  property  of  the 
children,  is  published  in  many  editions,  expensive 
and  inexpensive.  A  good  standard  edition  is  pub- 
lished, containing  both  parts  of  the  story,  and  is 
illustrated  with  woodcuts ;  a  specially  fine  edition, 
with  pictures  by  E.  Boyd  Smith,  contains  part  one; 
and  another  edition,  also  of  part  one,  is  that  illus* 
trated  by  the  Rhead  Brothers. 

Story  of  a  Bad  Boy.   (Aldrich.) 

Mischief  and  fun  of  a  New  England  village  boy 
and  his  friends.  Humorous,  delightful,  and  thor- 
oughly wholesome.  Mr.  Aldrich  based  this  story 
on  his  boyhood  life. 

Swiss  Family  Robinson.   (Wyss.) 

The  very  improbability  of  this  tale  makes  it  de- 
lightfiil.   "They  did  sail  in  the  tubs,"  says  the 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     159 

Spectator,  "  and  train  zebras  and  ostriches  for 
riding,  and  grow  pines  and  apples  in  the  same  gar- 
den; and  why  should  n't  they  ?  We  never  yet  met 
the  child  whom  this  story  did  not  fascinate." 

Tom  Brown's  School  Days.  (Hughes.) 

A  book  of  noble  purpose  and  boy  interests.  The 
author,  besides  writing  a  delightful  story  for  boys, 
has  written  a  most  instructive  one  for  parents  and 
teachers.  He  shows  Dr.  Arnold's  method  of  de- 
veloping a  boy's  sense  of  responsibility  and  manly 
honor.  To  get  a  boy  interested  in  the  book,  read 
aloud  to  him  the  chapters  headed  "The  Fight,** 
and  "Rugby and  Football." 

Some  Interesting  Classic  and  Standard  Novels  for 
Young  People 

Charles  O'Malley.   (Lever.) 

"Here  is  every  species  of  diversion,"  writes  An- 
drew Lang;  **  duels;  steeple-chase;  practical  jokes 
at  college  (good  practical  jokes,  not  booby  traps  and 
apple-pie  beds);  here  is  fighting  in  the  Peninsula. 
If  any  student  is  in  doubt,  let  him  try  chapter  xiv, 
the  battle  of  Duoro.  This  is,  indeed,  excellent 
military  writing. '  * 

Chronicles  of  Barsetshire.    (Trollope.) 

Including  "The  Warden,"  "  Barchester  Towers," 
"Framley  Parsonage,"  "Dr.  Thorne,"  "The 
Small  House  at  Allington,"  •'  Last  Chronicle  of 
Barset." 

Cloister  and  the  Hearth.    (Reade.) 

This  romance,  giving  strong  pictures  of  mediaeval 


i6o       The  Children's  Reading 

conditions,  should  be  read  by  every  boy  and  girl. 
It  may  be  followed  with  Von  Scheffel's  "  Ekke- 
hard." 

Cranford.  (Gaskell.) 

There  are  two  charming  editions  of  this  quaint  story, 
one  illustrated  by  Hugh  Thomson,  and  the  other 
with  delicate  colored  pictures  by  C.  E.  Brock. 

Dove  in  the  Eagle's  Nest.    (Yonge.) 

Story  of  the  German  robber  barons.  The  most 
popular  of  Miss  Yonge' s  novels.  Other  interesting 
books  by  the  same  author  are  •♦Unknown  to  His- 
tory," "Chaplet  of  Pearls,"  and  "Stray  Pearls." 

Egyptian  Princess.    (Ebers.) 

Thrilling  historical  romance  of  ancient  Egypt. 
**  Uarda,"  also  by  Ebers,  is  a  tale  of  Rameses  II. 

Ekkehard.   (Von  SchefFel.) 

A  tale  of  the  tenth  century,  which,  like  *'  The 
Cloister  and  the  Hearth,"  gives  fine,  strong  pic- 
tures of  medijeval  life. 

Evelina.    (Barney.) 

This  deliciously  refreshing  romance  cannot  fail  to  en- 
thrall; and,  like  *'Jane  Eyre,"  it  is  a  book  that 
should  be  read  in  youth.  Most  appropriately  illus- 
trated by  Hugh  Thomson. 

Henry  Esmond.    (Thackeray.) 

Also,  "The  Virginians,"  " Pendennis,"  and  "The 
Newcomes."  "  Henry  Esmond  "  is  illustrated  by 
Hugh  Thomson. 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     i6i 

Ivanhoe.    (Scott.) 

The  most  popular  of  this  great  author's  romances, 
all  of  which  are  fine  reading  for  boys  and  girls;  and, 
from  an  educational  point  of  view,  are  the  best  of 
historical  novels.  Those  volumes  generally  popular 
are  **  Quentin  Durward,"  "The  Talisman," 
"The  Monastery,"  "The  Abbot,"  "Fortunes 
of  Nigel,"  "  Kenilworth,"  "Anne  of  Geier- 
stein,"  and  "Woodstock." 

Jack  Ballister's  Fortunes.    (Pyle.) 

A  story  of  Blackbeard  the  pirate.  Vigorous  char- 
acter delineation.   Illustrated  by  the  author. 

Jane  Eyre.    (Bronte.) 

This  brilliant,  though  somewhat  sensational  story 
should  be  read  by  every  girl  before  she  is  seventeen; 
it  then  has  fascination  that  is  never  forgotten.  If 
read  for  the  first  time  later  in  life,  its  objectionable 
features  are  apparent,  which  are  unnoticed  by  a 
young  girl. 

John  Halifax.  (Craik.) 

A  fine  though  sentimental  story  of  the  evolution  of 
a  noble,  simple  "gentleman."  Much  enjoyed  by 
young  girls. 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii.  (Bulwer-Lytton.) 

Also,  "  Rienzi,"  and  "  The  Last  of  the  Barons." 

Leatherstocking  Tales.  (Cooper.) 

In  their  order  they  are  **The  Deerslayer," 
"  The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,"  "  The  Pathfinder," 
"The  Pioneer,"  "The  Prairie."  "The  Last  of 
the  Mohicans ' '  is  illustrated  in  color  by  E.  Boyd 
Smith. 


1 62        The  Children's  Reading 

Les  Miserables.  (Hugo.) 

Read  with  pleasure  by  some  young  people,  espe- 
cially the  part  called  '*  Marius." 

Lorna  Doone.  (Blackmore.) 

A  wholesome,  vigorous  story  of  strong  John  Ridd 
and  the  outlawed  Doones  of  Bagworthy  Forest, 
which  has  taken  its  place  among  the  best  of  ro* 
mances  for  young  people. 

Marble  Faun.  (Hawthorne.) 

Also,  "Twice-Told  Tales,"  "Mosses  from  an 
Old    Manse,"    and  "The  House    of  the    Seven 

Gables." 

Nicholas  Nickleby.  (Dickens.) 

Among  his  other  books  liked  by  young  people  arc 
"  A  Tale  of  Two  Cities,"  "  David  Copperfield," 
"Old  Curiosity  Shop,"  "Pickwick  Papers," 
"Martin  Chuzzlewit,"  "The  Cricket  on  the 
Hearth,"  and  "A  Christmas  Carol."  The  last 
two  books  are  issued  in  two  volumes,  each  illus- 
trated with  delicate  colored  pictures  by  C.  E. 
Brock. 

Our  Village.  (Mitford.) 

English  prose  idyll  published  in  two  beautiful  edi- 
tions, one  illustrated  with  one  hundred  pictures  by 
Hugh  Thomson,  and  the  other  with  colored  plates 
by  C.  E.  Brock. 

Picciola.  (Saintine.) 

Not  a  popular  book,  but  a  gentle,  charming  story  of 
how  a  flower  saved  a  young  nobleman  imprisoned 
by  Napoleon  in  the  Fortress  of  Fenestrella. 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     163 

Pride  and  Prejudice.   (Austen.) 

Miss  Austen  is  essentially  the  young  girl's  novelist 
She  is  simple,  forceful,  and  sane,  though  she  deals 
with  romance.  Others  of  her  books,  equally  de- 
lightful, are  "Sense  and  Sensibility,"  **  North- 
anger  Abbey,"  "Mansfield  Park,"  "Persua- 
sion," and  "Emma."  All  these  volumes  are  pub- 
lished, with  illustrations  by  C.  E.  Brock. 

Ramona.  (Jackson.) 

Pretty  tale  of  lower  California  which  relates  the 
love-story  of  Ramona  and  the  Indian  Alessandro. 
Much  liked  by  young  girls. 

Romola.   (Eliot.) 

George  Eliot  is  better  suited  to  mature  readers  than 
to  boys  or  girls.  Some  young  people  like  "  The 
Mil)  on  the  Floss,"  and  "Silas  Marner."  "  Ro- 
mola ' '  is  interesting  because  of  its  picturesque  and 
romantic  setting,  and  its  descriptions  of  the  stirring 
times  of  Savonarola. 

Scottish  Chiefs.  (Porter.) 

The  old-fashioned,  popular,  historical  romance  of 
which  Gladstone  writes:  "  *  Scottish  Chiefs,'  and 
especially  the  life  -and  death  of  Wallace,  used  to 
make  me  weep.  This  would  be  when  I  was  about 
ten  years  old."  The  book  is  usually  enjoyed  by 
young  people  between  fourteen  and  sixteen  years  of 
age. 

Tales  of  Mystery  and  Imagination.  (Poe.) 

"  Gold-Bug,"  and  detective  tales. 
The  Betrothed.  (Manzoni.) 

A  historical  romance  translated  from  the  Italian. 


1 64        The  Children's  Reading 

The  Initials.  (Tautphoeus.) 

Humorous  and  interesting  novel  of  middle-class 
German  life.   Has  much  local  color. 

The  Little  Fadette.  (Sand.) 

Or  "  Fanchon  the  Cricket." 

The  Sundering  Flood.  (Morris.) 

Also,  "The  House  of  the  Wolfings."  Two  poetic 
prose  tales  which  are  delightful  introductions  to 
William  Morris's  other  works.  They  expand  the 
imagination  by  re-creating  most  vividly  the  ancient 
life  of  the  Germanic  people  of  Northern  Europe. 

'reasure  Island.  (Stevenson.) 

The  most  popular  of  pirate  stories.  Many  illustra- 
tiom  by  Walter  Paget. 

Vicar  of  Wakefield.  (Goldsmith.) 

Two  fine  editions  of  this  classic  are  that  illustrated 
by  Hugh  Thomson,  and  the  one  with  pictures  by 
C.  E.  Brock. 

Westward  Ho !  (Kingsley.) 

A  historical  novel  written  in  Canon  Kingsley 's  most 
vigorous  English,  and  giving  strong  pictures  of 
England  and  the  •*  Spanish  Main  "  in  the  days  of 
Queen  Elizabeth.  It  should  be  read  by  every  boy. 
Two  other  interesting  books  by  Kingsley  are 
«*Hypatia,"  and  "Hereward  the  Wake." 

Essays  and  Miscellanies 

Essays.  (Macaulay.) 

Essays  Every  Child  Should  Know.  (Mabie.) 

A  collection  of  such  essays  as  "  The  Coverley  Sab- 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     165 

bath,"  by  Addison;  '*  A  Dissertation  on  Roast 
Pig,"  by  Lamb;  "Cinders  from  Ashes"  by 
Holmes;  and  "  Marjorie  Fleming,"  by  Dr.  John 
Brown. 

Essays  of  Elia.  (Lamb.) 

Heroes  and  Hero-Worship.  (Carlyle.) 

Rab  and  his  Friends.   (Brown.) 

Also  **  Marjorie  Fleming." 

Sayings  of  Poor  Richard.  (Franklin.) 

Sesame  and  Lilies.  (Ruskin.) 

Sir  Roger    de    Coverley    Papers.    (Addison    and 

Steele.) 

Sketch  Book.  (Irving.) 

A  volume  of  selections  from  the  *' Sketch  Book  "  is 
delightfully  illustrated  by  Caldecott,  and  published 
under  the  title,  "Old  Christmas." 

Table  Talk.  (Hazlitt.) 

Twelve  Centuries  of  English  Poetry  and  Prose. 
(Newcomer  and  Andrews.) 

A  most  interesting  and  comprehensive  collection. 
The  material  is  grouped  by  periods,  and  includes 
extracts  from  such  old  literature  as  "Beowulf"  as 
well  as  from  the  modern  poetry  of  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson.  Strongly  and  artistically  bound.  A  fine 
gift  book  for  any  boy  or  girl. 

Varia.  (Repplier.) 

Also  Miss  Repplier' s  other  volumes  of  spicy  essays, 
including  "Books  and  Men,"  and  "Essays  in 
Idleness. ' ' 


i66        The  Children's  Reading 

Drama 
Everyman,  and  other  miracle  plays. 

Plays.  (Shakespeare.) 

There  is  no  finer  gift  for  boy  or  girl  than  a  good 
one-volume  edition  of  the  great  dramatist,  or,  if 
preferred,  a  set  of  "  Temple  Shakespeares  "  bound 
in  leather.  The  advantages  of  the  set  are  that  the 
individual  volumes  are  inexpensive  and  one  may  be 
bought  at  a  time;  also,  if  wished,  a  selection  of  the 
plays  may  be  made.  If  a  selection  is  desired,  the 
first  plays  that  should  be  bought  for  a  child's  own 
bookcase  are  **  Midsummer  Night's  Dream," 
"The  Tempest,"  "As  You  Like  It,"  "Mer- 
chant of  Venice,"  "Twelfth  Night,"  "The 
Winter's  Tale,"  "Comedy  of  Errors,"  "  Romeo 
and  Juliet,"  "  Taming  of  the  Shrew,"  "Hamlet," 
"Julius  Caesar,"  "King  John,"  "Henry  IV," 
"Henry  V,"  "Macbeth,"  and  "King  Lear." 
Good  prose  renditions  of  the  plays  are  Lambs' 
** Tales  from  Shakespeare,"  Quiller-Couch's  "  His- 
torical Tales  from  Shakespeare, ' '  which  supplements 
Lamb;  and  a  charming  set  of  books  called  "The 
Temple  Shakespeare  for  Children."  The  stories  in 
this  set  are  attractively  told  in  prose  by  Alice  Spencer 
Hoffman.  Parts  of  the  original  plays  are  woven 
into  the  narratives.  Each  play  is  published  sepa- 
rately, bound  in  leather,  and  illustrated.  "  The 
Tempest  "  is  illustrated  by  Walter  Crane.  For  the 
'*Ben  Greet  Shakespeare,"  see  page  240. 

Plays.  (Sheridan.) 

Includes,  among  other  things,  "The  Rivals,"  and 


Some  Classics  and  Standards     167 

"The  School  for  Scandal."  These  two  plays 
are  also  published  separately  in  two  volumes,  bound 
in  red  leather. 

She  Stoops  to  Conquer.  (Goldsmith.) 

Also,  "The  Good-Natured  Man."  Each  play 
comes  bound  separately  in  red  leather  covers. 

Stories  of  Famous  Operas.  (Guerber.) 

Short  prose  tales  giving  the  plots  of  such  operas  as 
"  Faust,"  "  Carmen,"  "  Don  Giovanni,"  *«  Mar- 
tha," «' II  Trovatore,"  "  Cavalleria  Rusticana," 
and  "Le  Cid." 

Stories  of  the  Wagner  Operas.  (Guerber.) 

Plots  of  "Rienzi,"  "The  Flying  Dutchman," 
*♦  Tannhaiiser,"  "Lohengrin,"  **  Mastersingers 
of  Nuremberg,"  "Parsifal,"  and  the  operas  of 
"The  Ring." 


CHAPTER  XI 

FICTION  OF  TO-DAY 

«*  Thi  first  thing  ivill  be  to  bavt  a  censorship  of  the 
nur iters  of  fiction,  and  let  the  censors  receive  any  tale  of 
fiction  luhich  is  good,  and  reject  the  bad.  At  the  same  time 
most  of  those  that  are  no'w  in  use  ivill  have  to  be  discarded.^' 
—  Plato. 

**As  Euripides  is  reported,  nvhen  some  blamed  him  for  bring- 
ing such  an  impious  and  profligate  villain  as  Ixion  upon  the 
stage,  to  have  given  this  ansiver:  *  But  yet  I  brought  him  not 
off  till  I  had  fastened  him  to  a  torture  ivheel.''  "  — Plu- 
tarch. 

IN  the  previous  chapters  we  have  seen 
how  far  a  child's  reading  habit  may  be 
developed  under  intelligent  and  sympathetic 
guidance,  and  how  he  may  be  taught  to 
discern  between  strong  and  weak  literature. 
This  task  would  be  simple  and  sure  if  there 
were  no  forces  at  work  destroying  the  founda- 
tions so  carefully  laid  in  the  home.  One  of 
the  destructive  forces,  as  we  have  seen,  is  the 
easily  reached  supply  of  feverish  and  evil 
reading,  which  seduces  a  child  through  his 


Fiction  of  To-day  169 

natural  craving  for  stories  of  wild  adventure 
and  for  tales  that  excite  the  emotions. 

These  wide-awake,  active  tastes  are  per- 
fectly normal  and  right;  they  need  proper 
food,  that  is  all.  A  child  projects  himself 
into  the  experiences  and  emotions  of  the 
heroes  and  heroines  of  popular  fiction.  He 
thrills,  toils,  suffers,  and  triumphs  with  his 
favorite  characters.  His  interest  in  these 
books  is  awakened  not  by  his  parents  but 
by  other  children,  or  by  personal  examina- 
tion of  the  books.  This  is  h\sprivate  readings 
and  its  traditions  are  doled  out  by  comrades, 
who  in  their  turn  gathered  them  from  other 
children ;  in  the  same  manner  that  games  are 
handed  on  from  one  group  or  generation  of 
children  to  another. 

Thus  this  private  reading  is  a  matter  be- 
tween child  and  child;  and  boys  and  girls 
jealously  guard  their  rights  from  interference 
by  grown  people,  who,  they  think,  and  often 
with  just  cause,  are  the  declared  enemies  of 
every  book  that  is  absorbingly  interesting, 
— or  as  boys  say,  is  a  "  peach,"  "Jim  Dandy," 
or  "  out  of  sight."   The  illogicality  of  some 


lyo       The  Children's  Reading 

parents  is  the  source  of  much  childish  scorn, 
for  these  irate  grown-ups  confiscate,  without 
examination,  all  paper-covered  books,  but 
present  as  Christmas  gifts  and  Sunday-School 
prizes,  much  the  same  stories  bound  in  neat 
cloth  covers.  "  Many  a  parent,"  says  E.  W. 
Mumford,  "  who  would  promptly  take  John 
out  to  the  woodshed  if  he  leamed  that  the  boy 
was  collecting  dime  novels,  himself  frequently 
adds  to  John's  library  a  book  quite  as  bad." 

So  it  remains  that  much  of  a  boy's  or  girl's 
reading,  according  to  the  nature  of  things, 
will  be  done  outside  the  immediate  know- 
ledge and  influence  of  parents.  This  is  as  it 
should  be,  so  long  as  the  store  of  private 
reading,  from  which  the  children  draw  their 
books,  is  a  clean  and  wholesome  one.  An 
easily  accessible  supply  of  bad  books,  and 
restrictions  of  any  kind  on  the  free  reading 
of  good  ones,  is  a  sure  source  of  contamina- 
tion to  the  children  of  a  community. 

"  How  can  we,  then,  protect  our  children? 
How  can  we  know  what  they  are  reading  in 
private?"  question  anxious  parents.  The 
answer  is,  Shut  off,  by  legislation  if  possible. 


Fiction  of  To-day  171 

all  sources  supplying  weak  or  bad  fiction ; 
but  first  see  to  it  that  your  community  es- 
tablishes a  children's  free  library  department, 
no  matter  how  small  and  modest.  Let  it  be 
stocked  with  books  selected  by  approved 
educational  standards,  and  put  no  restrictions 
on  the  free  use  of  books,  excepting  such  rules 
as  insure  proper  care  of  public  property.  If 
rules  are  made,  even  with  the  best  of  in- 
tentions, which  restrict  a  child  to  one  or  two 
library  books  a  week,  the  fast  reader  will 
finish  his  volumes  in  a  short  time,  and  dur- 
ing the  rest  of  the  week  he  will  read  stories 
borrowed  from  comrades,  or  bought  from 
the  news-stand. 

If  funds  permit,  put  the  department  in 
charge  of  a  children's  librarian,  pedagogically 
trained  for  that  work,  and  who  knows  not 
only  children's  literature,  but  also  the  ap- 
proved modern  methods  of  introducing  child- 
ren to  good  reading.  Let  her  conduct  story- 
hours  and  reading-clubs,  and  encourage  her 
to  cooperate  with  both  parents  and  teachers. 
Mothers'  meetings,  held  monthly  at  the  li- 
brary for  the  discussion  of  children's  reading, 


172        The  Children's  Reading 

help  to  establish  intelligent  cooperation.  A 
sunny,  cheerful  reading-room,  equipped  with 
low  tables  and  comfortable  chairs,  its  walls 
lined  with  bookcases,  five  feet  high,  filled 
with  interesting  books, — good  modern  ones 
generously  duplicated^  —  quickly  becomes  the 
natural  rendezvous  for  the  neighborhood 
children.  They  spend  many  hours  in  ab- 
sorbed reading  in  their  own  comfortable 
quarters,  which  hours  might  otherwise  be 
wasted  in  "  riotous  living  "  on  the  streets,  or  in 
reading  yellow  fiction  in  some  secluded  comer. 
How  far  a  public  library  may  become  an 
educational  force  in  its  own  community  may 
be  seen  by  briefly  tracing  the  pioneer  work 
done  by  one  of  our  large  city  libraries,  sup- 
ported by  a  generous  public  taxation.  The 
city  mentioned  is  an  industrial  one,  teeming 
with  foreigners  from  all  nations.  Many  of 
these  foreigners  speak  no  English,  and  have 
no  comprehension  of  the  duties  of  an  Ameri- 
can citizen.  Their  traditions  and  habits  are 
those  of  the  countries  from  which  they  come, 
and  of  their  own  class  in  the  social  scheme  of 
those  countries.  The  only  hope  of  that  city 


Fiction  of  To-day  173 

lies  in  the  "  Americanizing  "  and  in  the  in- 
tellectual emancipation  of  the  children  of 
the  foreigners. 

To  help  in  this  great  work  fourteen  years 
ago  the  Public  Library  established  a  com- 
prehensive system  of  children's  free  libraries. 
There  was  at  that  time  no  system  in  any  other 
city  on  which  to  model  the  department,  nor 
were  there  any  catalogues  of  juvenile  books 
to  serve  as  guides  in  selecting  books  for  the 
shelves.  It  therefore  fell  to  this  department 
to  make  a  succession  of  original  experiments 
in  directing  children's  reading,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  evolve  an  organization  fitted  to 
its  peculiar  aims.  It  so  far  succeeded  that, 
after  fourteen  years  of  painful  effort,  meeting 
unmentionable  adverse  conditions,  it  at  last 
reached  the  point  where,  after  a  careful  can- 
vass of  the  needs  of  the  city  districts,  it  dis- 
tributed its  juvenile  books  through  a  compact 
organization,  composed  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  agencies  in  charge  of  a  corps 
of  carefully  trained  assistants,  whose  person- 
ality and  education  had  much  to  do  with 
the  success  of  the  work. 


174        The  Children's  Reading 

From  the  beginning  the  department  met 
with  the  most  earnest  and  cordial  cooper- 
ation from  school  directors,  teachers,  play- 
ground officials,  social  workers,  ministers, 
and  from  citizens  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  city.  Without  this  aid  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  evolve  the  system  of 
children's  libraries,  for  of  the  two  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  agencies  for  the  distribution  of 
juvenile  books  only  nine  were  under  library 
roofs;  the  remaining  two  hundred  and 
eighteen  centres  were  housed  in  buildings 
belonging  to  educational,  civic,  social,  and 
religious  bodies,  and  also  in  commercial  es- 
tablishments and  in  homes;  all  of  these 
giving  quarters  rent  free,  and  often  heat, 
light,  and  janitor  service.  Playgrounds, 
schools,  settlements,  bath  houses,  missions, 
and  even  tenements  thus  became  centres  for 
boys*  and  girls'  "  reading-clubs,"  and  for  the 
distribution  of  thousands  of  good  books  to 
the  neighborhood  children ;  and  into  remote 
alleys  crept  the  "home  libraries"  in  charge 
of  librarians  or  social  workers. 

These  fourteen  years  of  experimentation 


Fiction  of  To-day  175 

were  not  spent  merely  in  devising  a  system, 
which,  like  a  pipe-line,  should  cause  to  flow 
into  the  city  homes  a  continuous  stream  of 
good  juvenile  books;  but  they  were  also  given 
to  minute  and  careful  study  of  children's 
natural  interests,  to  testing  tastes  with  differ- 
ent classes  of  books,  to  evaluating  juvenile 
literature  from  an  educational  standpoint, 
and  to  devising  methods  of  drawing  the  at- 
tention of  groups  of  children  to  good  and 
varied  reading.  Thus  was  evolved  the  be- 
ginnings of  a  pedagogy  of  children's  per- 
sonal reading,  and  the  facts  gathered  from 
this  experimentation  form  to-day  the  basis 
of  the  laboratory  work  in  this  field  of 
many  libraries  and  schools  throughout  the 
country. 

Two  facts  gathered  from  the  work  of  this 
department  are  of  immediate  importance  in 
the  discussion  of  popular  modern  juvenile 
fiction :  first,  it  is  proved  that  many  children, 
especially  boys,  who  are  given  a  chance  to 
read  good  but  exciting  stories  will  of  their 
own  accord  abandon  the  continuous  reading 
of  yellow  fiction;  second,  that  it  is  possible 


176        The  Children's  Reading 

to  determine  just  what  qualities  go  to  make 
up  the  story  that  will  adequately  displace 
the  nickel  novel.  It  is  not  feasible  to  give 
here  an  account  of  the  educational  experi- 
ments conducted  systematically  by  the  child- 
ren's librarians,  but  a  few  concrete  examples 
will  be  sufficient  for  illustration. 

At  the  time  when  this  same  children's  de- 
partment was  first  established,  its  city  was 
honey-combed,  good  and  bad  districts  alike, 
with  shops  whose  windows  flashed  with  the 
red  and  yellow-covered  nickel  novels,  strung 
in  alluring  rows  on  strings  across  the  window 
panes.  These  shops  were  almost  the  only 
source  from  which  the  children  drew  their 
reading.  The  present  writer  has  visited  many 
large  cities,  but  nowhere  has  she  seen  the 
"  nickel "  so  boldly  flaunted  as  in  the  said 
city.  There  were,  and  still  are,  shops  where 
children  not  only  bought  "nickels,"  but 
rented  them  for  a  pittance.  On  one  occa- 
sion the  writer  visited  the  cellar  shop  of  a 
dealer  in  paper-covered  books.  The  large 
room  was  piled  with  tons  and  tons  of  worn- 
out,  torn,  filthy  "nickels,"  read  to  tatters  by 


Fiction  of  To-day  177 

children  and  young  people.  A  menace  to 
the  moral  health  of  that  city! 

But  as  children's  free  libraries  were  opened 
in  certain  districts,  "nickels"  disappeared 
from  some  shop-windows,  —  from  how  many 
the  writer  cannot  say,  as  no  statistics  were 
kept.  Two  shopkeepers  informed  the  chief 
children's  librarian  that  since  the  opening 
of  the  neighborhood  library  it  did  not  pay 
to  keep  "  nickels  "  in  stock,  as  the  children 
got  free  books  from  the  children's  reading- 
room.  One  shop  carried  for  years  a  varied 
line  of  "  nickels,"  paper-backed  novels,  and 
broadsides,  —  "  The  Bartender's  Ten  Com- 
mandments," "  Flirtation  with  a  Handker- 
chief," "Flirtation  with  a  Parasol,"  "Flirt- 
ation with  Postage  Stamps,"  —  and  also 
vulgar  song,  joke,  and  dream  books.  A  few 
months  after  the  opening  of  a  branch  library 
in  the  district  the  chief  children's  librarian 
called  at  the  shop  and  found  that  the 
"nickels"  and  broadsides  had  vanished. 

On  one  occasion  a  boy  who  lived  in  a  dis- 
trict where  there  was  no  branch  library 
walked  a  long  distance  to  the  central  library 


lyS        The  Children's  Reading 

building  to  consult  the  children's  librarian 
about  the  reading  of  his  "gang."  "We 
have,"  he  said,  "  a  library  of  one  or  two  hun- 
dred volumes  — '  nickels,'  you  know.  We 
ain't  greedy,  we  lend  them  to  the  girls. 
We  'd  have  better  things,  but  they  cost  too 
much."  Needless  to  say  that  before  the  boy 
left:  the  central  library  arrangements  had 
been  made  for  him  to  come  as  often  as  he 
wished  and  to  take  away  as  many  books  as 
he  could  carry  home  to  his  "gang."  The 
library  formed  a  "  reading-club "  of  these 
boys,  and  placed  it  in  charge  of  a  sympa- 
thetic social  worker. 

A  member  of  another  "reading-club"  of 
colored  and  foreign  boys  once  said  to  the 
library  leader  in  charge,  "  We  boys  would 
read  better  things  than  *  nickels,'  but  they 
come  high."  A  principal  sent  to  the  library 
for  some  good  fiction  because  his  pupils 
were  reading  "  nickels."  The  library  sent  a 
deposit  of  books  carefully  selected  for  the 
purpose,  and  in  a  few  months  the  principal 
reported  that  the  "  nickels  "  had  disappeared. 
It  would  be  possible  to  give  many  other  ex- 


Fiction  of  To-day  179 

amples  of  this  kind  from  the  records  of  that 
institution,  but  these  few  incidents  show 
what  power  a  good  and  interesting  book  has, 
if  offered  free,  to  drive  out  evil  reading. 

The  book  that  supplants  the  "nickel" 
has  definite  qualities.  It  pleases  the  eye;  it 
is  printed  in  large  clear  type,  it  has  an  un- 
crowded  page  with  many  paragraphs,  and 
much  conversation.  It  has  pictures  and, 
what  is  more  important,  a  gay  cover  with  a 
story-telling  picture  on  it  —  the  cover  often 
makes  the  book's  first  and  lasting  impression 
upon  a  child.  It  has  an  exciting  plot,  rapid 
action,  and  plenty  of  "go  "  that  sustains  the 
reader's  interest  from  cover  to  cover.  It  sat- 
isfies, in  a  less  hectic  fashion,  a  boy's  delight 
in  mystery,  and  his  desire  to  chase  some- 
thing, —  be  it  cat,  villain,  or  hero,  —  and  it 
inspires  him  to  punish  the  man  or  woman 
with  whom  the  author  has  put  him  out  of 
sympathy.  It  is  in  just  this  last  point  that 
lies  the  chief  difference  between  the  teach- 
ings of  the  yellow  story  and  good  popular 
fiction.  The  author  of  the  "nickel"  takes 
his  chief  character  from  the  "  Tenderloin,'* 


i8o       The  Children's  Reading 

— the  underworld,  — and  holds  him  up  as  a 
hero  oppressed  by  law;  thus  working  on 
a  boy's  sense  of  admiration,  and  filling  the 
lad  with  the  generous  but  mistaken  desire 
to  protect  the  criminal,  and  possibly  to  emu- 
late his  deeds.  This  author  trains  criminals, 
not  good  citizens.  But  the  author  of  the 
wholesome  popular  juvenile  is  on  the  side 
of  justice  and  order,  and  throws  his  "spot- 
light" on  a  hero  who  upholds  law,  and  is  hon- 
orable. His  villain,  like  Euripides's  Ixion, 
is  not  allowed  to  leave  the  stage  until  he  has 
been  fastened  to  a  torture-wheel. 

The  paper-covered  "nickel"  is  not  the 
only  harmful  reading  that  falls  into  a  boy's 
hands.  There  is  a  class  of  books,  cloth- 
bound  and  respectable  looking,  that  tell  of 
"get-rich-quick"  schemes,  of  promotion 
through  trickery,  favoritism,  or  accident,  — 
from  newsboy  to  chief  editor,  from  cabin- 
boy  to  captain,  from  yard-hand  to  railroad 
superintendent; — and  all  within  a  brief 
period  without  legitimate  effort.  Such  pro- 
motions occur  in  life,  but  they  are  scarcely 
to  be  held  up  to  the  growing  lad  as  sure  and 


Fiction  of  To-day  i8i 

noble  means  of  success.  Other  books  of  the 
same  class,  feverish  and  unwholesome,  tell 
of  lurid  experiences  in  airship  or  motor,  and 
of  other  adventures.  There  are  many  good 
modern  juveniles  to  take  the  place  of  these 
books,  and,  if  funds  permit,  the  library- 
should  buy  them  in  quantities. 

The  harmful  juvenile  books  —  not  love 
stories  —  for  girls  are  rarely  printed  in  nickel 
libraries,  but  come  forward  in  the  respect- 
able dress  of  cloth-cover,  and  often  with  the 
recommendation  of  a  high  price  and  a  well- 
known  author's  name.  These  are  the  books 
that  teach  girls  to  judge  character  and 
actions  by  the  amount  of  wealth  and  social 
distinction  possessed  by  the  heroine  and  her 
friends;  to  think  more  of  dress  than  ideals, 
to  gossip,  slander,  and  deal  each  other  petty 
blows;  to  be  disloyal  and  even  dishonorable; 
to  think  lightly  of  white  lies,  and  of  de- 
liberate untruth  told  for  an  ostensibly  noble 
purpose.  Such  books,  like  the  little  foxes 
that  spoil  the  vines,  destroy  fine  character 
even  more  quickly  than  do  the  stories  that 
bear  unmistakable  marks  of  evil  and  crime. 


i82        The  Children's  Reading 

Shoddy,  sweetly  sentimental  stories  are  in- 
sidious in  their  undermining  effects  on  a 
young  girl's  nature. 

These  stories  are  the  survivals  of  the  days 
when  many  a  girl  had  little  to  do  or  to  in- 
terest her  in  life  outside  her  home  walls. 
Hedged  in  by  convention  she  moved  in  a 
meagre,  shallow  world,  whose  pervading 
ideas  were  a  sweet  invalidism,  the  care  of  the 
complexion,  and  laying  plots  at  boarding- 
school.  But  to-day  we  have  our  athletic 
girl,  camping,  canoeing,  golfing,  and  winning 
tennis  tournaments;  our  business  girl,  in 
factory,  shop,  office,  or  in  a  professional 
school  fitting  herself  for  a  career ;  our  col- 
lege or  university  girl,  filled  with  altruistic 
desires  to  help  in  civic  and  social  better- 
ment. And  with  this  change  in  a  girl's 
ideals  comes  a  corresponding  change  in  the 
character  of  modem  fiction  written  for  her  en- 
joyment. The  new  class  of  story  is  womanly 
and  interesting,  but  not  always  strong;  it 
has  not  yet  reached  its  highest  plane,  where 
it  can  show  girls  in  a  convincing  manner  the 
close  and  perfect  relation  that  should  exist 


Fiction  of  To-day  183 

between  these  new  activities  and  home  life. 
A  few  books  that  make  the  enrichment  of 
the  home  the  final  aim  of  a  womanly  girl 
are  included  in  the  following  lists. 

Modem  juvenile  fiction  is  not  by  any 
means  entirely  composed  of  bait  to  decoy 
the  young  hopeful  from  bad  reading.  There 
are  many  fine,  strong  stories,  some  of  which 
will  doubtless  take  their  places  before  long 
in  any  list  of  classic  and  standard  fiction. 
These  good  books  are  listed  in  the  first 
group  of  "  fiction  of  to-day."  Here,  as  in  the 
lists  of  classic  and  standard  fiction,  may  be 
noticed  the  omission  of  traditional  books  of 
"  prunes  and  prisms "  variety ;  they  are  left 
out  because  experience  has  proven  that  a 
modem  child  will  not  read  "  goody-goody," 
dry-as-dust  books  unless  they  are  choked 
down  his  throat,  as  it  were. 

The  books  in  the  following  lists  are  alive 
books  —  not  selected  by  any  ancient  tradi- 
tion, but  chiefly  because  they  contain  ele- 
ments that  give  pleasure  to  boys  or  girls. 
Not  all  the  books  are  of  equal  merit,  or  of 
unimpeachable  character  if  judged  by  the 


184       The  Children's  Reading 

highest  standards.  Some  few  of  them  come 
very  close  to  the  border  line  of  sensational- 
ism, and  may  be  used  as  "  stepping-stones" 
from  "nickel"  reading  to  better  things. 
They  are  merely  samples  of  a  host  of  other 
good  and  wholesome  stories.  The  reader  is 
warned,  however,  against  drawing  the  con- 
clusion that,  because  one  book  by  any  given 
author  is  recommended,  therefore  all  his 
books  are  equally  good;  this  is  far  from  the 
case.  An  author  may  write  one  good  book 
into  which  he  has  put  the  best  of  himself, 
and  then  produce  rapidly  a  number  of  poorly 
written  and  possibly  harmful  stories  that  sell 
on  the  reputation  of  his  first  work.  This  is 
especially  true  of  long  "series"  of  stories. 
One  volume  sells  the  other,  because  the  au- 
thor is  well  known. 

Good  modern  fiction,  besides  appealing  to 
children's  tastes,  and  having  an  ethical  value, 
has  also  a  practical  educational  side  which 
should  not  be  overlooked.  Some  stories  deal 
with  the  lives  of  well-known  men  and  wo- 
men, and  the  histories  of  many  countries; 
these,  together   with   stories  having    local 


Fiction  of  To-day  185 

color,  fill  the  place  of  dry,  matter-of-fact 
books  of  biography,  history,  and  travel,  and 
they  sometimes  induce  children  to  further 
reading  on  the  subjects  treated.  Through 
stories  of  home  and  play  life,  and  of  the  daily 
experiences  of  everyday  boys  and  girls  placed 
in  ordinary  or  unusual  circumstances,  child- 
rep  may  learn  vicariously  how  to  meet 
emergencies  with  quick  wit,  fortitude,  and 
courage.  Stories  that  are  intended  to  interest 
children  in  Nature  are  listed  under  chapter 
XIII  —  "  Useful  Books."  And  a  discussion 
of  the  use  of  modern  historical  fiction  may 
be  found  in  chapter  XII — "History,  Bi- 
ography, and  Travel." 

LIST   OF   MODERN   FICTION    FOR    CHILDREN 

(For  editions,  publishers,  and  prices,  see  Purchase  List  of 
Children's  Books,  page  30a.) 

Some  of  the  Best  Fiction  for  Boys  and  Girls 

For  Younger  Children. 

A  Little  Girl  of  Long  Ago.  (White.) 

Also,    "A    Borrowed    Sister,"    "Edna   and  her 
Brothers,"  and  "  When  Molly  was  Six." 

Brothers  and  Sisters.  (Brown,  A.  F.) 

Also   its    Sequel,    "  Friends   and    Cousins,"    and 
"  The  Christmas  Angel." 


1 86       The  Children's  Reading 

Captain  January.  (Richards.) 

About  a  little  girl  rescued  from  the  sea. 

Diddie,  Dumps  and  Tot.  (Pyrnelle.) 
Plantation  life,  stories,  and  adventures. 

Donkey  John  of  the  Toy  Valley.  (Morley.) 
Of  the  wooden  toy-makers  of  the  Austrian  Tyrol. 

Little  Miss  Phoebe  Gay.  (Brown,  H.  D.) 

The  sequel,  **  Her  Sixteenth  Year,"  is  for  older 
children. 

Moons  of  Balbanca.  (Davis.) 

Good  times  in  New  Orleans,  and  on  a  plantation. 
Play-Days.  (Jewett.) 

Short  stories  of  play  and  fiin.   Good  to  read  aloud. 
Story  of  Sonny  Sahib.  (Duncan.) 

Of  a  child  rescued  from  the  Cawnpore  massacre. 
The  Rabbit's  Ransom.  (Vawter.) 

Short  stories.  Illustrated. 

For  Boys  and  Girls. 

A  Boy's  Ride.  (Zollinger.) 

In  the  days  of  John  of  England. 

Against  Heavy  Odds.  (Boyesen.) 

Stories  of  modem  Norse  heroism.  Also,  **  Boy- 
hood in  Norway,"  "Modem  Vikings,"  and 
«•  Norseland  Tales."  '  J 


Fiction  of  To-day  187 

Ben  Comee.  (Canavan.) 

Tale  of  Rogers's  Rangers. 
Betty  Leicester.  (Jewett.) 

Also,  "Betty Leicester's  Christmas.** 
Bob  Knight's  Diary.  (Smith.) 

Wholesome  but  spicy  tales  of  boarding-school. 
Boy  of  the  First  Empire.  (Brooks,  E.  S.) 

Story  of  a  page  in  Napoleon's  palace. 
Boy  Settlers.  (Brooks,  Noah.) 

Early  times  in  Kansas  ;  also,  "The  Boy  Emigrants.** 
Campus  Days.   (Paine,  R.  D.) 

Also,  "The  Dragon  and  the  Cross." 
Captain  Phil.  (Thomas.) 

Autobiography  of  a  boy  in  the  Union  Army. 
Captains  Courageous.   (Kipling.) 

Story  of  fishing  off  the  Grand  Banks. 
Chilhowee  Boys.  (Morrison.) 

Of  a  perilous  journey  of  some  boy  settlers. 
Coral  Island.  (Ballantyne.) 

Shipwreck  in  the  South  Seas. 
Flamingo  Feather.  (Munroe.) 

Story  of  the  Spaniards  in  Florida. 
Gabriel  and  the  Hour-Book.  (Stein.) 

Tale  of  old  Normandy  and  of  a  famous  hour-book. 


1 88        The  Children's  Reading 

Green  Mountain  Boys.  (Thompson,  D.  P.) 
Exploits  of  Ethan  Allen. 

Harding  of  St.  Timothy's.   (Pier.) 
Boy's  boarding-school  story. 

His  Majesty's  Sloop  Diamond  Rock.  (Hunting- 
ton.) 

Siege  of  Diamond  Rock  off  the  coast  of  Martinique. 

Hoosier  School-Boy.   (Eggleston.) 

Country  school-boy  days  in  Indiana. 
Jack  Benson's  Log.  (Norton.) 

Afloat  with  the  flag  in  '6 1. 
Jed.   (Goss.) 

A  boy's  adventures  in  the  Union  Army. 
Juan  and  Juanita.  (Baylor.) 

Of  a  wonderful  escape  from  the  Comanches. 
Kibun  Daizin.   (Murai.) 

•♦From  shark-boy  to  merchant-prince  "  ;  Japanese 
story. 

King  Tom  and  the  Runaways.  (Pendleton.) 
Also,  **In  the  Camp  of  the  Creeks." 

Lance  of  Kanana.   (French,  H.  W.) 
The  sacrifice  of  a  brave  Bedouin  boy. 

Land  of  Fire.  (Reid.) 

Castaway  on  the  Fuegian  coast. 


Fiction  of  To-day  189 

Lisbeth  Longfrock.  (Aanrud.) 

Idyll  of  Norwegian  farm  life.   Good  to  read  aloud. 
Masterman  Ready.  (Marryat.) 
A  desert  island  tale. 

Master  Skylark.   (Bennett.) 
In  the  times  of  Shakespeare. 

Merrylips.   (Dix.) 

A  story  of  the  Cavaliers  and  Roundheads. 

No  Heroes.  (Howard.) 

In  which  a  boy  proves  himself  a  hero. 

Perseverance  Island.  (Frazar.) 
A  story  of  an  ingenious  castaway. 

Polly's  Secret.   (Nash.) 

And  how  she  kept  it  in  spite  of  difficulties. 

Puck  of  Pook's  Hill.  (Kipling.) 

Fairy    spells    wrought    by    Puck.     Good    to    read 

aloud. 

Rebecca  of  Sunnybrook  Farm.  (Wiggin.) 
Also  its  sequel,  "New  Chronicles  of  Rebecca." 

Rolf  in  the  Woods.   (Thompson-Seton.) 

A  boy  scout  and  an  Indian  in  the  days  of  1 8 1 2. 
Santa  Claus  on  a  Lark.  (Gladden.) 

And  seven  other  stories  of  Christmas  doings. 

Sara  Crewe.  (Burnett.) 
Of  the  wonders  that  happened  in  Sara's  garret. 


190       The  Children's  Reading 

Story  of  Rolf  and  the  Viking's  Bow.    (French, 
Allen.) 
Talc  of  ancient  Iceland. 

Summer  in  a  Cafion.  (Wiggin.) 

Also  its  sequel,  "  Polly  Oliver's  Problem." 

.    The  Golden  Arrow.  (Hall.) 

Also,   **Boy8  of  Scrooby"  and   "In  the  Brave 
Days  of  Old." 

The  Great  Captain.  (Hinkson.) 
In  the  days  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 

The  Home-Comers.  (Kirkland.) 
Story  of  home  and  school  life. 

The  Ice  Queen.   (Ingersoll.) 
Adrift  on  an  ice-floe. 

Tinkham  Brothers'  Tide-Mill.  (Trowbridge.) 

Also,  *'  Cudjo's  Cave,"  "  His  One  Fault,"  "  Prize 
Cup,"  and  "The  Scarlet  Tanager." 

Tommy  Remington's  Battle.  (Stevenson,  B.  E.) 
The  self-sacrifice  of  a  miner's  son. 

Two  College  Girls.  (Brown,  H.  D.) 
Merrymakings  and  study  at  college. 

Two  Little  Confederates.  (Page.) 

Plantation  adventures  of  two  boys. 
Uncle  Peter's  Trust.  (Perry.) 

Of  a  boy-bugler  during  the  Sepoy  rebellion. 


Fiction  of  To-day  191 

Under  the  Eagle's  Wing.  (Miller,  Sara.) 

Of  the  favorite  disciple  of  Maimonides,  '*  The  Eagle 
of  Israel." 

What  Happened  to  Barbara.  (Miller,  O.  T.) 
Trials  and  happiness  of  an  ambitious  girl. 

When  Sarah  saved  the  Day.  (Singmaster.) 
Also  its  sequel,  *•  When  Sarah  went  to  School." 

With  the  Indians  in  the  Rockies.  (Schultz.) 
Adventures  of  a  lost  boy  in  old  trapping  days. 

Wulnoth  the  Wanderer.  (Escott-Inman.) 
Tale  of  the  Danes  and  of  Alfred  of  England. 

Young  Ice-Whalers.  (Packard.) 

Adventures  of  two  lads  lost  on  an  Arctic  ice-pack. 

Young  Lucretia.  (Wilkins.) 

Stories  of  old-fashioned  New  England  children. 
Young  Mountaineers.  (Craddock.) 

Tales  of  the  Tennessee  Mountains. 

Popular  Fiction  and  "  Stepping-Stones." 

An  Obstinate  Maid.  (Rhoden.) 

Translated    from   German.     Also,    **  The   Young 
Violinist." 

A  Son  of  the  Desert.  (Oilman.) 

An  escape  from  Arab  bandits. 
Baby  Elton,  Quarterback.  (Quirk.) 

A  freshman  year  at  college. 


192        The  Children's  Reading 

Bonnie  Prince  Charlie.  (Henty.) 

Also,  "  By  Pike  and  Dyke,"  "  By  England's  Aid," 
«*  Dash  for  Khartoum,"  "Jacobite  Exile,"  «*  Lion 
of  the  North,"  and  "With  Frederick  the  Great." 

Boys  of  the  Rincon  Ranch.  (Canfield.) 

Texas  good  times. 
Cattle  Ranch  to  College.  (Doubleday.) 

Indian  fighting,  hunting,  mining,  and  ranching. 
Cruise  of  the  Dazzler.  (London.) 

With  San  Francisco  Bay  pirates. 
Dandelion  Cottage.  (Rankin.) 

Also  its  sequel,  ♦*  Adopting  of  Rosa  Marie." 
Daughter  of  the  Rich.   (Waller.) 

A  year  on  a  farm  and  jolly  good  times. 
Dorothy  the  Motor-Girl.  (Carleton.) 

How  she  won  a  motor,  and  what  she  did  with  it. 
Driven  Back  to  Eden.  (Roe.) 

A  farm  story  of  some  city  children. 
Fast  Mail.    (Drysdale.) 

Also,  "Beach  Patrol." 
Fritzi.   (Daulton.) 

Of  a  little  violinist  adopted  three  times. 

Gold-Seeking  on  the  Dalton  Trail.    (Thompson, 
A.  R.) 

Prospecting  in  Alaska. 
Lakerim  Athletic  Club.  (Hughes.) 

A  year's  record  of  track  and  field  sports. 


Fiction  of  To-day  193 

Lass  of  the  Silver  Sword.  (Du  Bois.) 

Also  its  sequel,  **  The  League  of  the  Signet- Ring.'* 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy.  (Burnett.) 
Also,  "  Editha's  Burglar." 

Logan  the  Mingo.  (Ellis.) 

Also,  "Osceola,  Chief  of  the  Seminoles." 

Luck  of  the  Dudley  Grahams.  (Haines.) 
Also,  *'  Cock-a-Doodle  Hill." 

Marjorie's  Quest.  (Lincoln.) 

Search  for  a  lost  father. 

Master  of  the  Strong  Hearts.  (Brooks,  E.  S.) 
How  a  boy  redeemed  his  promise  to  Sitting  Bull. 

Mayken.   (Chase.) 

In  the  time  of  William  the  Silent. 

Michael  and  Theodora.   (Barr.) 
Also,  "Trinity  Bells." 

Nan  Nobody.  (Waggaman.) 
Story  of  a  "  little  mother." 

O-Heart-San.  (Haskell.) 
In  new  Japan. 

Our  Sister  Maisie.  (Mulholland.) 
Story  of  a  jolly  Irish  family. 

Outlaws  of  Horseshoe  Hold.  (Hill.) 

How  a  band  of    vigilantes    captured    an    outlaw 
"gang." 


194        The  Children's  Reading 

Rulers  of  the  Surf.  (Muller.) 

Adventures  of  a  boy  carried  off  by  pirates. 

Story  of  Betty.  (Wells.) 

How  she  came  into  a  fortune. 

Sweet  William.  (Bouvet.) 

In  the  days  of  Norman  chivalry. 

The  Flag  on  the  Hilltop.  (Earle.) 

Of  a  boy  kidnapped  by  Confederates. 

The  Forest  Castaways.  (Bartlett.) 

Experiences  of  two  boys  lost  in  the  Maine  woods. 
The  Half-Back.  (Barbour.) 

Also,  •*  Weatherby's  Innings." 

The  Little  Runaways.   (Curtis.) 

A  happy  adoption. 
The  Punchinellos.  (Davis,  K.  W.) 

Of  a  little  Italian  wanderer. 
The  Young  Section  Hand.  (Stevenson,  B.  E.) 

Also,  "The  Young  Train  Despatcher." 
Toby  Tyler.  (Otis.) 

Also,  «' Mr.  Stubbs's  Brother,"  "  Left  Behind," 
"Larry  Hudson's  Ambition,"  <*  Life  Savers," 
and  "Lobster Catchers." 

Treasure  of  Mushroom  Rock.  (Hamp.) 

Prospecting  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Two  Boys  in  a  Gyrocar.  (Kenneth-Brown.) 
Of  a  motor  race  and  a  rescue  from  Siberia. 


Fiction  of  To-day  195 

Wells  Brothers.  (Adams.) 

Experiences  of  the  **  young  cattle  kings." 

White  Cave.   (Stoddard.) 

Also,  "Dab  Kinzer,"   **  Little  Smoke,"  «*Two 
Arrows,"  and  *♦  Winter  Fun." 

White  Conquerors.  (Munroe.) 

Also,    "Derrick   Sterling,"    **. Ready  Rangers," 
"  Cab  and  Caboose,"  and  "  At  War  with  Pontiac." 

Wolf  Hunters.   (Curwood.) 

How  two  boys  and  an  Indian  hunted  in  Canadian 
wilds. 

Humorous  Stories  for  Boys  and  Girls 

A  Boy's  Town.  (Howells.) 

Adventures  of  a  band  of  boys. 

Arkansaw  Bear.   (Paine,  A.  B.) 

Rhyme  and  story.    Good  to  read  to  younger  child- 
ren. 

Birds'  Christmas  Carol.  (Wiggin.)     • 

Also,  "  The  Story  of  Patsy." 
Captain  Chap.   (Stockton.) 

Castaways  on  the  Florida  coast. 
Helen's  Babies.  (Habberton.) 

A  ten  days'  record  of  naughtiness  and  mischief. 

Monkey  that  would  not  Kill.  (Drummond.) 

For  younger  children. 
Mrs.  Wiggs  of  the  Cabbage  Patch.  (Rice.) 

Her  humorous  sayings  and  doings. 


196       The  Children's  Reading 

New  Robinson  Crusoe.  (Alden.) 
Funny  adventures  of  two  castaways. 

Peterkin  Papers.  (Hale.) 

Also,  **Last  of  the  Peterldns." 

Phaeton  Rogers.  (Johnson.) 
His  invenuons. 

Recollections  of  Auton  House.  (Hoppin.) 

Family  history  of  the  twelve  little  Autons. 

The  Calico  Cat.  (Thompson,  C.  M.) 
A  detective  tale. 

Widow  O'Callaghan's  Boys.    (Zollinger.) 
Also,  "  Maggie  McLanehan." 

Youngsters  of  Centerville.  (Baker.) 

Jolly  good  dmes  at  picnics  and  other  gatherings. 

Some  Popular  **  Series  " 
Bob's  Hill  Series,  3  volumes.  (Burton.) 
Chicopee  Series,  3  volumes.   (Hamlin.) 
Felicia  Books,  4  volumes.    (Gould.) 
Five  Little  Peppers  Series,  6  volumes.  (Sidney.) 
Hildegarde  Series,  5  volumes.  (Richards.) 
Jack  the  Young  Ranchman  Series,  6  volumes. 

(Grinnell.) 
Katy  Did  Books,  5  volumes.    (Coolidge.) 
Kristy  Books,  3  volumes.    (Miller,  O.  T.) 


Fiction  of  To-day  197 

Margaret  Montfort  Series,  5  volumes.  (Richards.) 

Omitting  **  Rita,"  which  is  very  sensational. 
Revolutionary  Series.   3  volumes.    (True.) 
St.  Lawrence  Series,  3  volumes.    (Tomlinson.) 
Teddy  and  Phebe  Books,  4  volumes.  (Ray.) 
War  of  1 81 2  Series,  6  volumes.    (Tomlinson.) 
West  Point  Series,  4  volumes.  (Malone.) 


CHAPTER  XII 

HISTORY,    BIOGRAPHY,    AND   TRAVEL 

**  Give  me  leave  to  enjoy  myself;  that  place  that  does  contain 
my  books,  the  best  companions,  is  to  me  a  glorious  court,  luhere 
hourly  I  converse  nvith  the  old  sages  and  philosophers ;  and 
sometimes,  for  variety,  I  confer  ivith  kings  and  emperors, 
and  iveigh  their  counsels ;  calling  their  victories,  if  unjustly 
got,  into  a  strict  account,  and,  in  my  fancy,  deface  their  ill- 
placed  statues.'"'  — Beaumont  and  Fletcher. 

HISTORY  and  its  complement  bio- 
graphy contain  the  essential  qualities 
that  in  other  forms  of  writing  delight  chil- 
dren, and  draw  them  to  read.  On  every 
page  throng  brave  deeds,  varied  adventures, 
mysteries,  and  swiftly  moving  events ;  often 
with  the  picturesque  background  of  other 
ages,  countries,  and  peoples.  Therefore  it  is 
surprising  to  note  how  few  histories  and 
biographies  children  read  for  pleasure.  After 
watching  the  children's  choice  of  books,  and 
on  examination  of  existing  juvenile  histo- 
ries and  biographies,  one  is  forced  to  con- 
clude that  the  root  of  the  trouble  lies  in  the 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel     199 

average  author's  presentation,  and  in  the 
text-book  appearance  of  th^  volumes. 

Juvenile  books  on  these  subjects  may  be 
divided  into  four  groups;  text-books,  dry, 
and  clogged  with  facts  and  dates;  improv- 
ing histories  and  biographies,  usually  con- 
descending in  tone ;  a  few  picturesque  bio- 
graphical histories;  and  lastly,  historical 
fiction.  Children,  especially  young  people, 
show  a  deeply  rooted  distaste  for  text-books 
and  improving  histories,  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  they  read  with  pleasure  attractive  bio- 
graphical histories,  and  devour  historical 
fiction. 

Although  it  is  essential  that  history,  per 
se,  should  be  accurately  presented,  yet,  from 
an  analysis  of  those  qualities  in  historic  ro- 
mance that  make  a  lasting  appeal  to  boys 
and  girls,  we  gather  valuable  suggestions 
for  the  successful  presentation  of  accurate 
history.  The  popular  historical  story  keeps 
the  reader's  attention  focused  upon  a  hero, 
whose  adventures  are  complicated  and  ex- 
citing. The  romantic  atmosphere  of  another 
period  is  reproduced.  Historical  characters 


200        The  Children's  Reading 

appear  as  flesh-and-blood  creatures,  not 
wooden  puppets  of  dates  and  facts.  The 
heroric  elements  are  emphasized,  and  the 
whole  volume  appeals  to  the  primitive  likes 
of  boy  and  girl,  —  to  their  sense  of  hero- 
worship,  to  their  interest  in  the  individual, 
and  their  love  of  color  and  adventure. 

History  contains  all  these  pleasure-giving 
elements,  if  it  is  presented  from  its  pictur- 
esque and  biographical  side.  It  may  be  ar- 
gued against  this  method  of  presentation, 
that  modern  science  has  shown  the  inade- 
quacy of  the  individual,  biographical  treat- 
ment of  history.  The  answer  is  that  boys 
and  girls  are  bored  by  the  sociological  treat- 
ment. It  is  beyond  their  comprehension,  and 
not  according  to  the  demands  of  their  na- 
tures. Their  interest  in  biographical  history 
is  prompted  by  the  same  psychological  law 
that  made  primitive  peoples  record,  not  facts, 
nor  the  sociological  explanations  of  events, 
but  the  spirit  and  deeds  of  mighty  leaders 
who  typified  the  racial  heroic  ideals. 

In  writing  a  satisfactory  and  attractive  his- 
tory for  children  and  young  people,  it  is  not 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    201 

necessary  to  fuse  tradition  and  fact  as  the 
ancient  peoples  did;  but  one  should  em- 
phasize the  heroic  elements  in  history,  at 
the  same  time  preserving  historical  accuracy. 
History  presented  biographically,  as  a  suc- 
cession of  events,  each  group  of  which  cen- 
tres around  some  dominant  personage  of  its 
age,  makes  a  series  of  distinct  mental  pic- 
tures, which,  by  aid  of  the  imagination,  im- 
press themselves  upon  the  mind  of  the 
young  reader  with  an  impact  that  makes  an 
indelible  impression  on  the  memory. 

The  educational  values  of  history  and 
biography  are  unquestionably  great.  These 
subjects  open  up  the  long  vistas  of  the  ages, 
show  deeds  in  relation  to  consequences,  in- 
troduce boys  and  girls  to  the  great  men  and 
women  of  all  times,  and  thus  expand  the  so- 
cial consciousness.  A  further  advantage  is 
gained  if  through  interest  in  biographical 
history  young  people  may  be  drawn  later  to 
study  more  mature  historical  works,  which, 
by  giving  them  a  knowledge  of  govern- 
ments, men  and  affairs,  will  help  them  as 
men   and   women    to   handle    intelligently 


202        The  Children's  Reading 

the  social  and  civic  problems  of  modem 
life. 

Before  leaving  this  subject  a  word  more 
may  be  said  for  historical  fiction.  It  forms 
a  delightful  introduction  to  historical  char- 
acters, arousing  interest  where  books  of  his- 
tory fail.  The  best  historical  romances  were 
not  written  for  children,  but  they  delight 
young  people  as  well  as  adults.  Among 
them  are  Scott's  novels,  "  The  Last  Days  of 
Pompeii,"  "  Rienzi,"  "Westward  Hoi" 
"  Hypatia,"  "  Hereward  the  Wake,"  "  The 
Cloister  and  the  Hearth,"  "  Ekkehard," 
"Charles  O'Malley,"  "  Les  Mis^rables," 
"  Tale  of  Two  Cities,"  and  "  The  House 
of  the  Wolfings."  Other  more  recent  novels 
are  written  by  Stevenson,  Weyman,  Crock- 
ett, and  Doyle. 

There  are  some  few  excellent  historical 
stories  written  for  boys  and  girls.  Of  these 
are  "Men  of  Iron,"  "Otto  of  the  Silver 
Hand,"  "  Jack  Ballister's  Fortunes,"  "  Green 
Mountain  Boys,"  "Two  Little  Confeder- 
ates," "  Wulnoth  the  Wanderer,"  "  Captain 
Phil."  "Jed,"  "The  Great  Captain,"    "A 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    203 

Boy's  Ride,"  "PuckofPook's  Hill,"  "May- 
ken,"  "  Master  Skylark,"  "  A  Boy  of  the 
First  Empire,"  "Rolf  in  the  Woods,"  "The 
Golden  Arrow,"  "  The  Boys  of  Scrooby," 
"  In  the  Brave  Days  of  Old,"  "  Merrylips," 
and  "Uncle  Peter's  Trust."  Brief  descrip- 
tions of  these  books  may  be  found  in  the 
fiction  lists  in  this  volume. 

Unfortunately  there  are  not  enough  thor- 
oughly good  juvenile  historical  stories.  The 
demand  for  this  class  of  tale  is  so  great  that 
it  is  necessary  to  give  boys  and  girls  stories 
which  are  not  accurate  in  every  point,  and 
are  written  sensationally.  Even  here  a  line 
is  drawn  between  the  harmfully  sensational 
and  vicious  book,  and  that  which  has  suffi- 
cient quality  to  make  a  reasonably  vivid 
and  correct  historical  impression.  The  use- 
fulness of  these  books  is  daily  demonstrated 
in  the  public  library.  The  writer  knows  of 
many  boys  and  girls  who  by  reading  Henty 
books  have  been  led  to  study  history.  And 
until  better  tales  take  their  place,  all  the 
Henty  books  and  their  ilk  cannot  be  thrown 
aside.    "  The   children's    librarian,"   writes 


204       The  Children's  Reading 

C.  W.  Hunt,  "having  daily  evidence  of 
the  excellent  reading-courses  stimulated  by 
trifling  books,  must  keep  for  the  child  some 
things  which  the  critics  would  scom,  when 
she  knows  that  these  books  have  in  them 
the  power  to  kindle  such  interest  in  a  sub- 
ject as  will  lead  to  reading  corrective  of  in- 
accuracies of  information." 

Good  books  of  travel  are  nearly  as  rare 
as  are  satisfactory  biographies  and  histories. 
Most  travel  accounts  for  children  are  stuffed 
with  informing  facts,  usually  related  by  a 
prosy  grown-up  to  a  long-suffering  party  of 
children,  or  they  are  desultory  or  vague. 
The  best  travel  books  are  not  intended  as 
such.  They  are  stories  full  of  local  color 
and  fine  descriptions  of  natural  scenery, 
customs,  and  manners.  The  authors  of  the 
stories  knew  their  localities  and  people  well, 
and  were  so  unconsciously  full  of  their  sub- 
jects that  they  imbued  their  tales  with  at- 
mosphere not  to  be  found  in  the  ordinary 
book  of  travel. 

What  child  can  read  "Juan  and  Juanita," 
and  "The  Basket   Woman,"  and  not  re- 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    205 

ceive  a  vivid  impression  of  the  deserts, 
canons,  and  plains  of  the  Southwest ;  the 
reader  of  "Nelly's  Silver  Mine"  wanders 
through  a  verdant  Colorado  valley  over- 
looked by  snow-capped  mountains ; "  Heidi," 
"  Donkey  John,"  and  "  Moni  the  Goat  Boy  " 
work,  play,  and  gather  flowers  on  the  Alps, 
whose  mountain  wonders  are  impressed  on 
the  little  reader ;  "  Norseland  Heroes  "  do 
brave  deeds  in  the  frozen  Northland ;  "  Lis- 
beth  Longfrock "  takes  the  reader  to  climb 
Norwegian  mountains ;  "  The  Young  Ice 
Whalers  "  live  among  the  natives  of  the  Arc- 
tic regions;  "The  Boy  Settlers"  and  "Chil- 
howee  Boys  "  experience  the  dangers  of  travel 
in  the  early  days  of  settlers  and  Indians ;  and 
"  What  Happened  to  Barbara  "  was  a  suc- 
cession of  travels  and  adventures  in  the  days 
of  land  travel  by  coach;  while  the  boy  "  With 
the  Indians  in  the  Rockies  "  voyages  up  the 
Missouri  in  early  trading  days,  and  endures 
the  dangers  of  winter  camping  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  All  these  delightful  books  are 
listed,  together  with  brief  descriptions,  in  the 
fiction  lists  of  this  volume. 


ao6       The  Children's  Reading 

The  lists  appended  to  this  chapter  con- 
tain some  excellent  books,  interesting  and 
lively,  as  well  as  books  for  study  and  refer- 
ence, and  a  few  volumes  useful  only  be- 
cause at  present  there  are  no  better  ones  on 
the  subject.  A  glance  at  these  lists  will 
show  how  unbalanced  they  are,  and  how 
certain  desirable  subjects  are  not  covered  at 
all ;  this  is  especially  true  of  biography. 
The  appended  lists  close  with  a  brief  selec- 
tion of  books  on  the  history  of  art,  music, 
and  literature.  Selected  volumes  from  sev- 
eral excellent  modem  series  are  listed.  De- 
scriptive catalogues  of  the  full  series  may 
be  obtained  from  the  publishers.  As  brief 
characterizations  of  these  series  may  be  use- 
ful, they  are  given  here. 

"  The  Children's  Heroes  Series"  consists 
of  a  number  of  very  pretty  volumes,  each 
of  which  narrates  the  life  of  some  well- 
known  hero  of  history.  The  volumes  vary 
in  treatment,  some  being  simple,  vigorous, 
and  manly,  while  others  are  sentimental. 
The  best  of  the  series  are  listed  here.  All 
the  volumes  are  pocket-size,  printed  in  good. 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    aoy 

clear  type,  illustrated  in  color,  and  have 
bright  picture  covers.  They  please  children 
between  eight  and  ten  years  of  age,  and  may 
be  enjoyed  by  older  boys  and  girls. 

The  "  Life  Stories  for  Young  People  " 
are  translated  from  the  German  by  G.  P. 
Upton.  The  series  consists  of  thirty-six  vol- 
umes, covering  a  wide  range  of  legend  and 
history,  treated  romantically  and  biographi- 
cally.  The  present  writer  is  not  acquainted 
with  all  the  volumes,  but  those  she  has  read 
present,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  a  uni- 
formly high  standard  of  excellence.  Each 
volume  is  printed  in  large,  clear  type,  and 
bound  in  unattractive,  but  neat,  plain  green 
covers.  These  "  life  stories  "  will  be  enjoyed 
by  children  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  of  age. 

There  are  four  interesting  travel  series  in- 
tended for  the  popular  reading  of  children 
under  twelve  years  of  age.  First  among 
these  is  "The  Little  Cousin  Series,"  which 
consists  of  forty  volumes  by  many  authors. 
Each  book  contains  an  adventure  story  about 
little  children  of  other  countries.  The  home 
life  of  the  "  little  cousins  "  is  described,  also 


2o8        The  Children's  Reading 


.( 


the  dress  and  customs  of  the  various  peoples. 
Among  the  countries  covered  are  Africa, 
Alaska,  Armenia,  Brazil,  Egypt,  Hawaii, 
Panama,  and  Turkey.  The  volumes  are 
printed  in  good  type,  and  bound  in  yellow 
picture  covers.  The  stories  are  enjoyed  by 
children  eight  to  ten  years  of  age. 

A  series  for  slightly  older  children  is 
"  Peeps  at  Many  Lands."  Thirty-eight  vol- 
umes make  up  this  series,  each  of  which 
describes  a  different  country.  The  binding 
is  bright,  and  the  colored  illustrations  un- 
usually attractive.  Companion  series  to  this 
is  "  Peeps  at  Great  Cities." 

The  "  Little  People  ^Everywhere  Series  '* 
follows  the  plan  of  "The  Little  Cousin 
Series."  Each  volume  tells  the  story  of  a 
child  of  another  country.  There  are  twelve 
volumes,  printed  in  good  type,  and  illus- 
trated. In  form  and  cover  they  resemble  the 
'*  Peeps  at  Many  Lands." 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    209 


BOOKS    OF    HISTORY,    BIOGRAPHY, 
DESCRIPTION,    AND   TRAVEL 

(For  editions,  publishers,  and  prices,  see  Purchase  List 
of  Children's  Books,  page  30a.) 

Africa. 

My  Apingi  Kingdom.  (Du  Chaillu.) 

Also,  "Country  of  the  Dwarfs,"  "In  African 
Forest  and  Jungle,"  '*  Lost  in  the  Jungle,"  and 
"Stories  of  the  Gorilla  Country." 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  South  Africa.  (Kidd.) 

Romance  of  Savage  Life.  (Elliot.) 

Relates  with  most  delightful  humor  and  sympathy 
the  home  life,  play,  and  work  of  the  savage.  For 
older  children. 

Story  of  David  Livingstone.  (Golding.) 

His  courage  and  lofty  spirit  are  emphasized,  and  his 
efforts  to  break  the  slave-trade  are  described.  *•  Child- 
ren's Heroes  Series." 

American  Indian, 

American  Indians.  (Starr.) 

Of  sun-dances,  totem-poles,  clifF-dwellings,  Indian 
dress,  weapons,  and  ceremonials  of  many  tribes. 

Famous  Indian  Chiefs  I  have  Known.   (How- 
ard). 
Experiences  of  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Army. 


2IO       The  Children's  Reading 

Indian  Boyhood.  (Eastman.) 

The  author,  a  Sioux,  tells  of  his  own  boyhood  ;  of 
legends,  games,  dances,  feasts,  and  story-telling. 
For  older  children. 

Ancient  Countries. 

Lives.  (Plutarch.) 

Translation  called  Dryden's,  revised  by  Clough.  A 
rendition  for  children  is  **  Our  Young  Folks'  Plu- 
tarch," by  Kaufinan. 

Pictures  from  Greek  Life  and  Story.  (Church.) 
Also,  **  Pictures  from  Roman  Life  and  Story." 
Both  volumes  are  for  older  children. 

Stories  of  the  East,  from  Herodotus.  (Church.) 
Of  Croesus,  Cyrus,  Darius,  and  others. 

Story  of  the  Greek  People.  (Tappan.) 
Illustrated  with  reproductions  of  Greek  statuary, 
architecttire,  vase-paintings,  and  coins. 

Story  of  the  Roman  People.  (Tappan.) 

From  legendary  times  to  the  capture  of  Constanti- 
nople. Illustrated  with  many  reproductions  of  statu- 
ary and  paintings. 

British  Empire. 

An  Island  Story.  (Marshall.) 

A  child's  history  of  England.  The  biographical  side 
is  emphasized,  and  the  treatment  is  romantic.  Large 
volume  with  colored  pictures.  Its  companion  vol- 
ume, "  An  Empire  Story,"  traces  the  development 
of  the  British  colonies.  Uniform  with  these  is 
'*  Scotland's  Story."  These  three  volumes  are  most 
attractive  in  make-up  and  treatment.   Gift-books. 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    2h 

Betty  in  Canada.  (McDonald  and  Dalrymple.) 

"  Little  People  Everywhere  Series."  Also,  *'  Peeps 
at  Many  Lands,  Canada,"  by  Bealby. 

Cambridge  Historical  Readers. 

History  of  England  in  five  volumes.  Excellent, 
readable,  and  fully  illustrated.  Graded  for  school 
use.   Text-book  covers. 

Children's  Book  of  Edinburgh.  (Grierson.) 
Including  tales  of  long  ago,  stories  of  Mary  Queen 
of  Scots,  and  descriptions  of  modern  Edinburgh  and 
its  sights.   Illustrated  in  color. 

Children's  Book  of  London.  (Mitton.) 

Includes  historical  tales,  and  descriptions  of  the 
Tower,  Westminster  Abbey,  and  other  sights.  Col- 
ored illustrations. 

In  the  Days  of  Alfred  the  Great.  (Tappan.) 
Story  biography.   Also,  **  In  the  Days  of  William 
the  Conqueror,"  *'In  the  Days  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth," and  **In  the  Days  of  Queen  Victoria." 

Ireland's  Story.  (Johnston  and  Spencer.) 

Legendary  and  historical  record  of  Ireland.  Text- 
book in  treatment,  but  interesting. 

Kathleen    in    Ireland.    (McDonald    and    Dal- 
rymple.) 

*•  Litde  People  Everywhere  Series."  Also  *♦  Peeps 
at  Many  Lands,  Ireland,"  by  Tynan. 

Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin.  (McManus.) 

"The  Little  Cousin  Series."  Also,  "Peeps  at 
Many  Lands,  India,"  by  Finnemore. 


212        The  Children's  Reading 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  England.  (Finnemore.) 
Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  New  Zealand.  (Vaile^ 
Story  of  Captain  Cook.  (Lang.) 

**  Children's  Heroes  Series."  Other  excellent  vol- 
unxes  of  this  series  are  :  "  Chalmers,"  by  Kelman  ; 
** Lord  Nelson,"  by  Sellar  ;  "Sir  Francis  Drake," 
by  Elton;   "Sir  Walter  Raleigh,"  by  KcUey. 

Tales  of  a  Grandfather.  (Scott.) 

Scottish  history  from  Roman  rule  in  England  to  the 
reign  of  George  IV. 

Young  Americans  in  the  British  Isles.    (Tom- 
linson.) 

Travels  through  England,  Ireland,  Scodand,  and 
Wales. 

ChinOy  yapariy  and  the  Far  East. 
China's  Story.  (Griffis.) 

"In  myth,  legend,  art,  and  annals."  A  less  ex- 
pensive volume  for  younger  children  is  "  Story  of 
China,"  by  Van  Bergen. 

Chinese  Boy  and  Girl.  (Headland.) 

Games,  plays,  and  folk-tales  of  Chinese  children. 
Another  volume  by  the  same  author  is  "  Our  Little 
Chinese  Cousin." 

In  Eastern  Wonderlands.  (Gibson.) 
Travel  in  Japan,    China,  Ceylon,  India,  Egypt, 
and  other  lands. 

Japan.  (GrifEs.) 

"Its  history,  folk-lore,  and  art."  A  less  expensive 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    213 

volume  for  younger  children  is  **  Story  of  Japan," 
by  Van  Bergen. 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Burma.  (Kelly.) 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Ceylon.  (Clark.) 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Japan.  (Finnemore.) 

Two  Years  in  the  Jungle.  (Hornaday.) 

Adventures  of  a  naturalist  in  India,  Ceylon,  the 
Malay  Peninsula,  and  Borneo.  For  young  people 
and  adults. 

France. 

Maid  of  Orleans.  (Henning.) 

**  Life  Stories  for  Young  People  Series."  Romantic 
story  of  Joan  of  Arc,  of  her  visions,  exploits,  and 
martyrdom. 

Marie  Antoinette.  (Abbott.) 

Also,  "Madame  Roland." 

Napoleon,  the  Little  Corsican.  (Hathaway.) 

A  short  life.  Emphasizes  Napoleon's  devotion  to 
his  family  and  his  perseverance.  Another  short  life, 
emphasizing  his  military  career,  is  Marshall's  *•  Story 
of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,"  belonging  to  the  "Child- 
ren's Heroes  Series." 

Story  of  France.  (Macgregor.) 

Romantic  and  picturesque  history,  from  the  Druids 
to  the  Franco- Prussian  War.  Uniform  with  Mar- 
shall's "An  Island  Story."  A  cheap  but  excellent 
text-book  volume  of  French  history  is  Button's 
"Little  Stories  of  France."  Dalkeith's  "Stories 
from  French  History  ' '  contains  short  picturesque 
biographies  of  Clothilde  and  Clovis,  Charlemagne, 


214        T^a^  Children's  Reading 

St.  Louis,  Joan  of  Arc,  the  Huguenots,  Marie 
Antoinette,  and  Napoleon. 

Germany. 

Little  Stories  of  Germany.  (Dutton.) 

Simply  told  biographical  tales  about  Charles  the 
Great,  Barbarossa,  Peter  the  Hermit,  Diirer,  Gu- 
tenberg, and  other  well-known  people  who  helped 
to  make  German  history.   Text-book  cover. 

Peeps  at  Great  Cities,  Berlin.  (Siepen.) 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Germany.    (Sidgwick.) 

Also,  "Our  Little  German  Cousin,"  by  Wade, 

The  Youth  of  the  Great  Elector.  (Schmidt.) 

"Life  Stories  for  Young  People  Series."  Interest- 
ing, vivid  story  of  the  boyhood  of  Frederick  Wil- 
liam. Describes  the  conditions  of  the  time,  and  tell» 
of  Wallenstein,  Tilly,  and  Gustavus  Adolphus. 

Holland. 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Holland.  (Jungman.) 

Also,  Dodge's  "Land  of  Pluck,"  and  "  Our  Lit- 
tle Dutch  Cousin,"  by  McManus. 

Siege  of  Leyden.  (Motley.) 

Condensed  from  "Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic." 
Edited  by  Griffis. 

William  of  Orange.  (Schupp.) 

"  Life  Stories  for  Young  People  Series."  Short, 
picturesque  story  of  the  great  Netherland  patriot. 

Young  People's  History  of  Holland.  (Griffis.) 
The  origin  of  the  cities,  the  crusades,  feudalism. 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    215 

the  eighty  years*  war  for  freedom,  and  life  under 
the  old  republic  and  the  modem  kingdom. 

Italy. 

Queen  Maria  Sophia  of  Naples.  (Kuchler.) 
'*Life  Stories  for  Young  People  Series."    Tells  of 
the  exiled  queen,  of  Cavour,  King  Victor  Emanuel, 
and  Garibaldi. 

Peeps  at  Great  Cities,  Rome.  (Genn.) 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Italy.  (Finnemore.) 

Short  History  of  Italy.  (Kirkland.) 

From  the  Roman  Empire  to  1878. 

When  I  was  a  Girl  in  Italy.  (Ambrosi.) 

Marrietta  Ambrosi  tells  of  her  home-life,  play- 
mates, games,  and  work. 

Mexico. 

Manuel    in    Mexico.    (McDonald    and    Dal- 
rymple.) 

♦'Little  People  Everywhere  Series."  Also,  "Our 
Little  Mexican  Cousin,"  by  Butler. 

Roy  and  Ray  in  Mexico.  (Plummer.) 

Imparts  many  facts  about  the  manners,  customs,  and 
history  of  Mexico.  Useful  as  a  child's  travel  guide. 
Attractive  cover. 

Norway^  Sweden^  and  Denmark. 

Gerda  in  Sweden.  (McDonald  and  Dalrymple.) 

"Little  People  Everywhere  Series." 
Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin.  (Coburn.) 

*' The  Little  Cousin  Series." 


2i6        The  Children's  Reading 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Denmark.  (Thomson.) 

Peeps  at   Many   Lands,  Norway.    (Mockler- 
Ferryman.) 

Also  '*Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin,"  by  Wade. 
Stories  of  the  Vikings.  (Macgregor.) 

Short  chapters,  each  describing  some  side  of  viking 
life,  —  vikings  in  England,  at  home,  in  battle;  their 
beliefs,  customs,  sea  fights,  and  ships  ;  contains, 
also,  short  biographical  sketches  of  Harald  Fairhair, 
Kbg  Hacon,  Olaf  Tryggvason,  and  other  vikings. 

Russia  and  Siberia. 

Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Russia.  (Walter.) 

Also,  *'  Our  Little  Russian  Cousin,"  by  Wade. 

Peter  the  Great.   (Abbott.) 

Old-fashioned  history,  telling  among  other  things  of 
the  revolt  of  Mazeppa,  the  invasion  of  Sweden,  and 
the  building  of  St.  Petersburg. 

Tent  Life  in  Siberia.  (Kennan.) 

Two  years*  adventures  in  Siberia  and  Kamchatka. 
For  young  people  and  adults. 

Young  Folks'  History  of  Russia.  (Dole.) 

For  older  children.  A  shorter  and  less  expensive 
volume  is  "  Story  of  Russia,"  by  Van  Bergen. 

United  States  of  America, 
American  Hero  Stories.  (Tappan.) 

Brief  stories  for  younger  children.  Some  of  the 
heroes  are  Columbus,  Drake,  William  Penn,  Wash- 
ington, "  Mad  Anthony,"  John  Paul  Jones,  and 
David  Crockett. 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    217 

Boy  Life  on  the  Prairie.  (Garland.) 

Tells  not  only  of  boy  work  and  fun,  but  of  the 
natural  beauties  of  the  unbroken  prairies  of  Iowa. 

Boys'   Life    of  Abraham    Lincoln.    (Nicolay, 
Helen.) 

Based  on  the  standard  life  of  Lincoln  by  Nicolay 
and  Hay.  A  volume  for  younger  children  is  "True 
Story  of  Abraham  Lincoln,"  by  E.  S.  Brooks. 

Boys'  Life  of  General  Grant.  (Knox.) 

A  volume  for  younger  children  is  *•  True  Story  of 
U.  S.  Grant,"  by  E.  S.  Brooks. 

Daughters  of  the  Revolution.  (Coffin.) 

Also,  '*  Boys  of  '76,"  "  Boys  of  '6i,"  and  "  My 
Days  and  Nights  on  the  Battle-Field. " 

Famous  Adventures  and  Prison  Escapes  of  the 
Civil  War. 

Romantic  and  exciting  stories  collected  from  the 
"Century  Magazine." 

George  Washington.  (Scudder.) 

The  standard  life  for  older  children.  A  volume  for 
younger  ones  is  "  True  Story  of  George  Washing- 
ton," by  E.  S.  Brooks. 

Grandfather's  Chair.  (Hawthorne.) 

Stories  from  New  England  history. 
Great  Locomotive  Chase.  (Pittenger.) 

Of  a  raid  on  a  Georgia  railroad,  during  the  Civil  War. 
Heroes  of  the  Navy  in  America.  (Morris.) 

Twenty-eight  naval  heroes  from   the  time  of  the 

Revolution.    Patriotic  and  dramatic  in  treatment. 


21 8        The  Children's  Reading 

History  of  the  United  States.  (Eggleston.) 
Also,  •*  War  of  Independence,"  by  Fiske. 

Oregon  Trail.  (Parkman.) 

The  author's  wanderings  in  1846,  and  his  adven- 
tures with  Sioux  Indians.  Illustrated  by  Reming- 
ton. 

Ranch  Life  and  the   Hunting-Trail.  (Roose- 
velt.) 
Cowboy  life.  Illustrated  by  Remington. 

Recollections  of  a  Drummer-Boy.  (Kieffer.) 

Interesting  experiences  of  a  drummer-boy  in  the 
Union  Army. 

Some  Strange  Corners  of  our  Country.  (Lum- 
mis.) 

Of  the  Grand  Cafion  of  the  Colorado,  the  petri- 
fied forests  of  Arizona,  Montezuma's  Well,  and  of 
the  manners  and  customs  of  Indians  in  the  South- 
west. 

Source  Readers.  (Hart.) 

Four  volumes  of  American  history,  graded,  and 
consisting  of  selections  from  many  sources.  Read- 
able, but  text-book  in  appearance. 

Story  of  Columbus.  (Seelye.) 

A  volume  for  younger  children  is  '*True  Story  of 
Coluwbus,"  by  E.  S.  Brooks. 

Three  Years  behind  the  Guns.  (L.  G.  T.) 

True  record  of  a  boy-sailor  in  the  United  States 
Navy.  Tells  of  his  visits  to  foreign  ports,  of  Admiral 
Dewey,  and  the  battle  of  Manila  Bay. 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    219 

Miscellaneous. 

Biographical  Stories.  (Hawthorne.) 

Short  sketches  of  Cromwell,  Franklin,  Newton, 
Samuel  Johnson,  Queen  Christina,  and  Benjamin 
West.  For  older  children. 

Book  of  Golden  Deeds.  (Yonge.) 
True  tales  of  heroic  self-sacrifice.   For  older  children. 

Boys'  Book  of  Explorations.  (Jenks.) 

Hero  travel  in  Africa,  Asia,  and  Australia.  Con- 
tains maps  and  illustrations. 

Boy's  Froissart.  (Lanier.) 

Edited  from  Froissart' s  •*  Chronicles."  A  standard 
work  for  older  children,  but  unfortunately  not  at- 
tractive in  type  and  cover.  A  good,  cheap  edition 
of  the  '*  Chronicles  "  is  published  in  *•  Everyman's 
Library." 

Captains  of  Industry.  (Parton.) 

Two  volumes,  first  and  second  series.  Contain  short, 
interesting  sketches  of  **  men  of  business  who  did 
something  besides  making  money,"  including  mer- 
chants, manufacturers,  inventors,  journalists,  and 
others.   For  young  people  and  adults. 

Children  of  the  Cold.  (Schwatka.) 

How  Eskimo  boys  and  girls  live,  work,  and  play. 

European  Hero  Stories.  (Tappan.) 

Tells,  among  other  things,  of  the  barbaric  invasions, 
the  forming  of  the  German  nations,  and  life,  pro- 
gress, and  discovery  in  the  Middle  Ages.  A  cheaper 
volume,  with  text-book  cover,  is  "  Famous  Men  of 
the  Middle  Ages,"  by  Haaren  and  Poland. 


220       The  Children's  Reading 

Heroines  Every  Child  Should  Know.  (Mabie.) 

Collection  of  short  stories,  including  a  few  tales  from 
the  classics,  and  a  number  of  biographical  sketches  of 
such  women  as  Joan  of  Arc,  Catherine  Douglas, 
Lady  Jane  Grey,  Flora  Macdonald,  and  Madame 
Roland. 

Historic  Boys.    (Brooks,  E.  S.) 

Story  lives  of  the  boyhoods  of  such  men  as  Brian  of 
Munster,  Olaf  of  Norway,  William  of  Normandy, 
and  Harry  of  Monmouth.  Companion  volume  to 
this  is  **  Historic  Girls." 

Lives    of  Poor    Boys    who   became    Famous. 
(Bolton.) 
Also,  "Lives  of  Girls  who  became  Famous." 

Red  Book  of  Heroes.  (Lang,  Mrs.  Andrew.) 

Twelve  tales  of  the  brave  deeds  and  acts  of  mercy 
of  such  heroes  as  Florence  Nightingale,  John  How- 
ard, and  Father  Damien.  Companion  volume  to 
this  is  "Book  of  Princes  and  Princesses,"  which 
contains  interesting  and  picturesque  boyhood  and 
girlhood  lives  of  famous  historic  people. 

Seven  Little  Sisters.  (Andrews.) 

Seven  tales  of  seven  little  children,  each  of  whom 
represents  a  different  race.  Also,  "Ten  Boys,"  a 
volume  of  short  stories  telling  of  little  boys,  also 
representatives  of  ten  peoples.  Popular  with  younger 
children. 

Story  of  Marco  Polo.   (Brooks,  Noah.) 

Tales  of  the  three  Polos  who  entered  the  service  of 
Kublai  Khan. 


History,  Biography,  and  Travel    221 

Strange  Peoples.  (Starr.) 

Of  Indians,  Mexicans,  Finns,  Lapps,  Turks,  Pyg- 
mies, and  other  strange  peoples. 

Thirty  More  Famous  Stories  Retold.  (Baldwin.) 

Includes,  among  other  things,  the  stories  of  Colum- 
bus and  the  egg,  Galileo  and  the  lamps,  and  the 
man  in  the  iron  mask.  Also,  **  American  Book  of 
Golden  Deeds,"  containing  stories  of  heroism. 

True  Story  Book.  (Lang,  Andrew.) 

Also,  <'  Red  True  Story  Book."  Two  volumes  of 
adventures  and  achievements,  exploits  and  escapes 
of  historic  people. 

Two  Years  before  the  Mast.  (Dana.) 

For  young  people  and  adults.  There  are  two  fine 
editions  of  this  classic,  one  illustrated  in  color  by  E. 
Boyd  Smith,  and  the  other  with  colored  illustra- 
tions by  Pears. 

Books  on  the  History  of  Art^  Music,  and  Literature 
Child's  English  Literature.  (Marshall.) 

The  romantic  side  of  English  literature  is  empha- 
sized, and  short  sketches  of  the  lives  and  personal- 
ities of  many  authors  are  given,  together  with  brief 
quotations  from  their  works.  The  volume  is  large, 
uniform  with  "An  Island  Story,"  and  illustrated 
in  color.  A  less  expensive  volume  is  **  Short  History 
of  English  Literature  for  Young  People,"  by  Kirk' 
land. 

Lewis  Carroll.  (Moses.) 

Also,  **  Louisa  May  Alcott." 


222        The  Children's  Reading 

Riverside  Art  Series.  (Hurll.) 

Twelve  volumes,  each  devoted  to  one  artist  and  his 
work,  and  illustrated  with  fine  reproductions  of 
painting  or  sculpture.  A  series  for  younger  children 
is  Keysor's  "Great  Artists,"  in  five  volumes.  The 
volumes  of  both  the  above  series  may  be  purchased 
separately. 

Shakespeare,  the  Boy.  (Rolfe.) 

Tells  of  Stratford,  of  the  home  and  school  life,  of 
the  games,  fairs,  and  holiday  festivals  of  his  day. 

Stories  of  Art  and  Artists.  (Clement.) 

Handsome  gift-book.  Contains  many  fine  repro- 
ductions of  famous  sculpture  and  paintings,  together 
with  accounts  of  the  artists.  Originally  published  in 
**St.  Nicholas  Magazine." 

Young  People's  Story  of  Art.  (Whitcomb.) 

Pleasant  reading,  fiill  of  anecdote,  and  illustrated 
with  pictures. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

USEFUL   BOOKS 

•* .   .   .   tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brookSj 
Sermons  in  stones  j  and  good  in  every  thing.'''' 

Shakespeare. 

EVERY  active  child  is  eager  to  make 
and  do  things,  to  act  and  to  construct; 
and  he  is  curious  to  know  what  makes  ma- 
chinery go,  how  flowers  grow,  what  causes 
rain,  dew,  and  wind,  and  how  animals  and 
birds  live.  The  educational  possibilities  of- 
fered through  the  utilization  of  these  in- 
stincts is  immeasurable.  Fortunate  is  the 
child  who  has  a  good  instructor,  but  where 
there  is  none  a  practical  book  may  be  made 
to  take  a  teacher's  place  if  the  would-be 
pupil  knows  how  to  extract  its  knowledge 
and  to  apply  its  principles  to  field  or  shop 
work.  Parents  may,  by  the  gifts  of  useful 
books  suited  to  the  tastes  and  ages  of  in- 
dividual children,  accustom  their  boys  to 
scientific  observation  and  construction,  and 


224       The  Children's  Reading 

their  girls  to  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the 
best  methods  of  housekeeping  and  home- 
making. 

The  value  of  practical  books  as  substitutes 
for  teachers  is  continually  demonstrated  in 
the  public  libraries.  Within  the  present 
writer's  knowledge  many  men  and  boys 
have,  through  the  use  of  library  books, 
fitted  themselves  for  careers  or  for  promo- 
tion in  their  own  lines.  By  following  printed 
directions  boys  make  model  aeroplanes, 
miniature  engines,  and  electric  and  other 
toys,  and  all  this  without  adult  supervision. 

We  have  ample  proof  that  boyish  ex- 
periments and  manual  work  may  be  fore- 
runners of  future  serious  and  fruitful  labors. 
Faraday,  Nasmyth,  Watt,  Stephenson,  Bes- 
semer, Hugh  Miller,  Audubon,  and  many 
other  great  scientists  and  inventors  began  in 
boyhood  to  observe  and  experiment,  and  to 
make  models.  Of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  his  bi- 
ographer Brewster  writes  that  when  a  lad  he 
"  exhibited  a  taste  for  mechanical  inventions. 
With  the  aid  of  little  saws,  hammers,  hatch- 
ets, and  tools  of  all  sorts,  he  was  constantly 


Useful  Books  225 

occupied  during  his  play-hours  in  the  con- 
struction of  models  of  known  machines  and 
amusing  contrivances."  Among  these  were 
a  water-clock,  a  windmill,  a  mechanical  car- 
riage, and  sun-dials.  He  also  observed  the 
apparent  daily  motions  of  the  sun.  Newton 
himself  states  that  he  began  his  scientific  ex- 
periments when  he  was  fifteen  years  old. 

It  is  impossible  for  a  parent  to  forecast 
to  what  extent  a  boy's  bent  towards  me- 
chanics or  experiment  may  be  prompted  by 
special  ability,  or  by  his  natural  desire  to 
make  things,  since  ability  and  taste  cannot 
be  forced,  but  develop  by  means  of  natural 
selection.  For  this  reason  a  parent  should 
provide  any  mechanically  or  scientifically 
inclined  boy  —  or  girl  either — with  books, 
tools,  or  instruments  which  will  encourage 
him  to  spend  his  spare  time  in  concentrated, 
serious  work,  and  then  leave  his  ability,  if 
he  has  any,  to  manifest  itself 

There  is  no  end  to  the  enjoyment  or 
wholesome  activity  a  boy  may  derive  from 
a  set  of  tools ;  while  a  practical  book  for  a 
guide,  and  a  corner,  or  workshop,  where  he 


226        The  Children's  Reading 

may  experiment  undisturbed, — and  to  which 
he  may  freely  invite  his  comrades,  —  will 
prove  incentives  that  will  keep  a  lad  at 
home,  and  give  him  opportunity  to  exer- 
cise his  inventive  faculties.  He  will  at  the 
same  time  gain  a  control  of  hand,  a  trueness 
of  eye,  and  an  accuracy  of  execution  that 
will  stand  him  in  good  stead  all  his  life, 
whether  or  not  he  enters  a  trade,  or  an  en- 
gineering or  scientific  profession. 

Books  on  camping  and  athletics  and  field 
manuals  for  the  young  collector  are  the  best 
of  vacation  companions ;  and  nature  essays 
and  fiction  draw  a  boy  to  observe  and  under- 
stand nature,  and  to  appreciate  her  beauties 
and  wonders.  Books  on  dramatics,  games, 
magic,  and  other  entertainments  help  to  fill 
the  long  vacation  days  and  to  while  away 
rainy  home-hours  with  pleasant  diversions 
that  keep  children  out  of  mischief  and  de- 
velop their  ingenuity  and  powers  of  expres- 
sion. 

Girls,  as  a  rule,  are  not  interested  in 
books  on  mechanics  or  applied  science. 
The  volumes  that  are  peculiarly  a  girl's  own 


Useful  Books  227 

are  those  that  teach  her  how  to  make  gar- 
ments and  pretty  useful  things  for  the  house, 
and  also  how  to  entertain  her  friends,  and 
to  keep  house  and  to  cook  according  to 
scientific  methods. 

Books  of  games  and  dramatics  and  field 
manuals  for  nature  study  are  also  popular 
with  girls,  who  should  be  encouraged  in  every 
way  possible  to  make  collections  of  natural 
objects,  and  to  observe  the  habits  of  birds 
and  the  movements  of  the  stars.  A  field  ex- 
cursion or  a  tramp  in  the  woods  or  park 
brings  not  only  health  to  the  nature-lover, 
but  delightful  knowledge.  A  field  book  on 
wild  flowers,  or  on  minerals,  birds,  animals, 
or  stars,  a  microscope  or  hand-telescope,  field 
or  opera  glass,  may  make  these  trips  fascin- 
ating as  well  as  instructive. 

There  are  so  many  really  good  books  on 
electricity,  mechanics,  nature  study,  or  other 
subjects  that  it  is  difficult  to  make  a  small 
selection  of  suitable  and  varied  books  for 
such  necessarily  short  lists  as  are  appended 
here.  In  making  the  choice,  however,  some 
general  principles  are  followed.  The    vol- 


228       The  Children's  Reading 

umes  are  by  experts  and  reasonably  up  to 
date.  Books  are  included  that  are  suitable 
for  little  children  as  well  as  for  older  boys 
and  girls.  Books  of  occupations  are  listed 
for  the  use  of  mothers  during  rainy  days  or 
in  vacation  time.  Boys'  books  for  shop  or 
field  work  are  mainly  manuals  and  handy 
books  giving  information  in  direct,  simple 
language,  and  illustrated  with  diagrams  and 
drawings;  boys  prefer  such  to  fiction  telling 
how  certain  boys  made  or  did  things.  Little 
children  and  girls,  however,  like  knowledge 
wrapped  in  a  sugar-coating  of  fiction,  so 
there  are  included  here  instructive  stories 
telling  how  girls  cook,  sew,  or  keep  house 
for  their  families. 

The  list  for  the  nature-lover  offers  a  va- 
riety of  subjects  and  treatment.  It  contains 
field  manuals  and  instructive  books  for 
children  old  or  young,  and  also  essays  of 
high  literary  merit  showing  the  wonders  and 
beauties  of  nature ;  these  last  are  for  young 
people  and  adults.  The  list  closes  with  vol- 
umes of  fiction  and  anecdote,  chiefly  about 
birds  and  animals.   Nature  fiction  is  not  al- 


Useful  Books  229 

ways  strictly  scientific  in  its  deductions,  and 
sometimes  it  misleads  by  attributing  human 
characteristics  to  animals  who  do  not  pos- 
sess them ;  but  the  aim  of  such  fiction  is  to 
throw  the  reader  into  closer  sympathy  with 
nature  and  to  arouse  compassion  for  ill- 
treated  animals  and  birds.  This  romantic 
and  imaginative  nature  fiction  has  its  place 
in  arousing  interest  in  nature  when  the 
coldly  scientific  book  fails.  And  once  the 
children's  interest  is  awakened  they  may  be 
led  to  read  the  higher  type  of  nature  book 
as  well  as  to  observe  nature  for  themselves. 
.  Just  here  may  be  said  a  word  for  a  science 
which  is  usually  neglected,  but  which  is 
peculiarly  adapted  to  children  —  astronomy. 
It  expands  the  imagination,  it  appeals  to  the 
reverent,  awe-loving  side  of  child  nature,  it 
uplifts  the  soul  and  mind  and  brings  them 
into  the  presence,  as  it  were,  of  God  Him- 
self, who  binds  "the  sweet  influences  of  the 
Pleiades,"  and  looses  "  the  bands  of  Orion  " ; 
for  "  the  heaven,  even  the  heavens,  are  the 
Lord's,"  says  the  Psalmist,  "but  the  earth 
He  hath  given  to  the  children  of  men."  If 


230        The  Children's  Reading 

the  reader  doubts  the  appeal  of  astronomy 
to  children,  let  him  take  a  child  star-gazing 
on  some  clear  night,  —  apart  from  the  re- 
flected, blinding  light  of  the  city.  Let  him 
give  a  child  his  first  view  of  the  fathomless 
black,  heavens,  spangled  with  burning  stars. 
Let  him  observe  the  effect  of  that  awful 
beauty  upon  the  child's  imagination,  and  he 
cannot  fail  to  be  convinced  of  the  spiritually 
enlarging,  uplifting  effect  of  the  study  of 
the  stars  and  of  the  mysterious  laws  guiding 
the  heavenly  bodies. 

As  one  reads  the  lives  of  the  great  as- 
tronomers one  is  deeply  impressed  .by  the 
reverence  or  spirituality  with  which  they 
approached  their  work,  and  by  the  fact  that 
they  were  lovers  of  flowers,  poetry,  and 
music.  In  significant  contrast  to  this  is  the 
spiritual  depression  of  Darwin,  which  caused 
him  to  write,  "  Now  for  many  years  I  cannot 
endure  to  read  a  line  of  poetry.  I  have  tried 
lately  to  read  Shakespeare,  and  found  it  so 
intolerably  dull  that  it  nauseates  me.  I 
have  almost  lost  my  taste  for  pictures  and 
music." 


Useful  Books  231 

Newton,  we  know,  was  devoutly  religious, 
and  of  Kepler  it  is  said,  "  The  magnificence 
and  harmony  of  the  Divine  works  excited 
in  him  not  only  admiration,  but  love.  He 
felt  his  own  humility  the  farther  he  was  al- 
lowed to  penetrate  into  the  mysteries  of  the 
universe;  and  sensible  of  the  incompetency 
of  his  unaided  powers  for  such  transcendant 
researches,  and  recognizing  himself  as  but 
the  instrument  which  the  Almighty  em- 
ployed to  make  known  his  wonders,  he 
never  entered  upon  his  inquiries  without 
praying  for  assistance  from  above.  This 
frame  of  mind  was  by  no  means  inconsistent 
with  that  high  spirit  of  delight  and  triumph 
with  which  Kepler  surveyed  his  discoveries." 
And  though  Sir  William  Herschel  was  re- 
ticent in  religious  discussion,  the  attitude  of 
his  research  was  reverent.  "It  is  certainly," 
he  said,  "a  very  laudable  thing  to  receive 
instruction  from  the  great  Work  master  of 
nature,  and  for  that  reason  all  experimental 
philosophy  is  instituted." 

Before  closing  this  chapter  it  is  interesting 
to  note  here  the  recurrence  of  the  arguments 


232        The  Children's  Reading 

used  by  Tyndall  to  prove  the  exceeding 
great  usefulness  of  the  constructive  imagin- 
ation in  scientific  research  and  invention. 
"  Kepler  has  fortunately  left  behind  him  a 
full  account  of  the  methods  by  which  he 
arrived  at  his  great  discoveries,"  writes  his 
biographer  Brewster.  "When  Kepler  di- 
rected his  mind  to  the  discovery  of  a  general 
principle  he  set  distinctly  before  him,  and 
never  once  lost  sight  of,  the  explicit  object 
of  his  search.  His  imagination,  now  un- 
reined, indulged  itself  in  the  creation  and  in- 
vention of  various  hypotheses.  The  most 
plausible,  or  perhaps  the  most  fascinating,  of 
these  was  then  submitted  to  a  rigorous  scru- 
tiny, and  the  moment  it  was  found  to  be  in- 
compatible with  the  results  of  observation 
and  experiment,  it  was  willingly  abandoned. 
...  In  the  trials  to  which  his  opinions  were 
submitted,  and  in  the  observations  or  experi- 
ments which  they  called  forth,  he  discovered 
new  facts  and  arrived  at  new  views  which 
directed  his  subsequent  inquiries  .  .  .  and 
discovered  those  beautiful  and  profound  laws 
which  have  been  the  admiration  of  succeed- 


Useful  Books  233 

ing  ages."  Kepler's  "  imagination  as  well  as 
his  reasoning  faculties  always  worked  to- 
gether," writes  Sir  Robert  Ball.  "He  was 
incessantly  prompted  by  the  most  extra- 
ordinary speculations.  The  great  majority 
of  them  were  in  a  high  degree  wild  and 
chimerical,  but  every  now  and  then  one  of 
his  fancies  struck  right  to  the  heart  of  nature, 
and  an  immortal  truth  was  brought  to  light." 
In  interesting  contrast  to  Kepler's  method 
of  work  is  that  of  Sir  William  Herschel, 
whose  reason  kept  strict  check  on  fancy. 
His  was  a  controlled  yet  utilized  imagin- 
ation, the  action  of  which  was  perhaps 
more  coldly  scientific  than  that  of  Kepler, 
but  not  so  impelled  by  the  intuition  of 
genius.  "We  ought,"  he  wrote,  "to  avoid 
two  opposite  extremes.  If  we  indulge  a 
fanciful  imagination,  and  build  worlds  of 
our  own,  we  must  not  wonder  at  our  going 
wide  from  the  path  of  truth  and  nature.  On 
the  other  hand  if  we  add  observation  to  ob- 
servation without  attempting  to  draw  not 
only  conclusions,  but  also  conjectural  views 
from  them,  we  offend  against  the  very  end 


234        The  Children's  Reading 

for  which  only  observations   ought  to  be 
made." 

All  of  which  arguments  help  to  prove  the 
practical  value  of  an  active,  well-balanced 
imagination,  and  also  to  show  that  imagina- 
tion may  be  cultivated  not  merely  through 
the  reading  of  classic  literature,  as  shown  in 
the  preceding  chapters,  but  also  through  the 
use  of  those  practical  books  which  preserve 
for  us  the  records  of  the  knowledge  and  ex- 
periments of  scientific  men. 

USEFUL   BOOKS    FOR   BOYS  AND   GIRLS 

(For  other  useful  books,  see  Easy  Reading,  page  6». 
For  editions,  publishers,  and  prices,  see  Purchase  List 
of  Children's  Books,  page  30a.) 

Occupations  for  Little  Children 

Lady  Hollyhock.  (Walker.) 

Also,  "Tales  Come  True."  Both  volumes  tell 
how  to  make  dolls  out  of  flowers  and  vegetables. 
Colored  pictures  and  simple  text. 

Little  Folks'  Handy  Book.  (Beard,  L.  and  A.  B.) 

Describing  many  pleasant  occupations.  Another 
useful  book  is  •*  Rainy  Day  Diversions,"  by  Wells. 

Stick-and-Pea  Plays.  (Pratt.) 

Doll's  furniture  and  other  playthings  made  out  of 
sticks  and  dried  peas. 


Useful  Books  235 

Household  Arts 

A  Little  Cookbook  for  a  Little  Girl.  (Burrell.) 

Receipts  for  older  girls.  An  attractive  cookbook 
for  younger  children  is  "When  Mother  Lets  Us 
Cook,"  by  Johnson.  A  popular,  old-fashioned  vol- 
ume is  Kirkland's  •*  Six  Little  Cooks." 

American  Girl's  Handy  Book.     (Beard,  L.  and 
A.  B.) 

Miscellaneous  information  telling  how  to  make  gifts, 
to  entertain  friends,  to  do  needlew^ork,  painting, 
modeling,  and  to  play  games.  Another  excellent 
handy  book  is  Paret's  **  Harper's  Handy  Book  for 
Girls,"  which  gives  instructions  for  beautifying  a 
girl's  room,  and  for  making  ardstic  and  useful  things 
for  the  house,  including  metal-work,  leather-work, 
tapestry,  beadwork,  and  Easter  and  Christmas  gifts. 

Home  Candy-Making.   (Rorer.) 

Contains  rules  for  making  candy,  sugar-boiling,  col- 
oring, flavoring  ;  together  with  receipts  for  home- 
made candy. 

Household  Sewing.   (Banner.) 

Directions  for  home  dressmaking.  A  book  for 
younger  children  is  "  When  Mother  Lets  Us  Sew," 
by  Ralston. 

How  to  do  Beadwork.  (White.) 

Chains,  moccasins,  purses,  bags,  and  other  articles. 

How  to  Dress  a  Doll.  (Morgan.) 

Patterns  of  underwear,  also  of  a  house  dress,  a  party 
dress,  and  other  garments;  together  with  directions 
for  making. 


236        The  Children's  Reading 

How  to  Make  Baskets.  (White.) 

Also,  *'  More  Baskets  and  How  to  Make  Them." 

Saturday  Mornings.  (Burrell.) 

How  Margaret  learned  to  keep  house;  practical  and 
interesting.  A  pleasing,  old-fashioned  story  on 
the  same  subject  is  "Dora's  Housekeeping,"  by 
Kirkland. 

Things  for  Boys  to  Make  and  Do 

American  Boys'  Handy  Book.    (Beard,  D.  C.) 

Miscellaneous  information  on  how  to  make  all  sorts 
of  things  for  use  or  sport,  including  kites,  fishing- 
tackle,  blow-guns,  magic  lanterns,  paper  fireworks, 
and  theatrical  costumes. 

Box  Furniture.  (Brigham.) 

How  to  make  one  hundred  simple  and  artistic 
pieces  of  fiirniture. 

Boys'  Book  of  Model  Aeroplanes.   (Collins.) 

How  to  build  and  fly  aeroplane  models,  together 
with  an  account  of  the  evolution  of  the  flying-ma- 
chine. Its  companion  volume,  "Second  Boys' 
Book  oi  Model  Aeroplanes,"  discusses  model  aero- 
planes of  1 9 1 1 ,  and  model  aeroplane  toum&mentf 
and  contests. 

Electric  Toy-Making.   (Sloane.) 

Including  batteries,  magnets,  motors,  and  dynamos, 
and  such  articles  as  a  •'  tomato  can  battery,"  electric 
bells,  and  incandescent  lamps. 

Harper's  Electricity  Book  for  Boys.   (Adams.) 
Directions  for  making  all  sorts  of  electrical  apparatus, 


Useful   Books  237 

including  home-made  batteries,  switches,  insulators, 
and  coils. 

Harper's  Machinery  Book  for  Boys.  (Adams.) 
Explains  tools,  and  their  uses,  and  shows  how  a  boy 
may  make  machinery  for  automobiles,  and  motor- 
boats,  and  how  he  may  work   in  wood,  stone  and 
concrete,  and  forge  metal  castings. 

Photography  for  Young  People.  (Jenks.) 

Manipulation  of  cameras,  action  of  light,  and  photo~ 
graphic  processes. 

Wonderland  of  Stamps.  (Burroughs.) 

A  story  in  which  are  explained  the  meanings  of 
postage-stamp  designs.  For  the  young  collector. 
Fully  illustrated. 

Woodworking  for  Beginners.    (Wheeler.) 

A  book  for  older  boys.  Tells  how  to  make  fiirniture, 
toys,  and  houses  for  animals,  and  gives  instructions  for 
elementary  house-building  and  boat  construction. 

Outdoor  Life  and  Athletics 
Boat-Building  and  Boating.  (Beard,  D.  C.) 

A  handy  book  for  beginners.  Illustrated.  A  more 
comprehensive  volume  is  **  Harper's  Boating  Book 
for  Boys,"  by  Davis. 

Book  of  Foot-Ball.  (Camp.) 

For  spectator  and  player. 
Field  and  Forest  Handy  Book.  (Beard,  D.  C.) 
A  vacation  book.   Arranged  by  seasons.    Gives  sug- 
gestions for  camp  outfits,  and  tells  how  to  make  all 
sorts  of  things  for  outdoor  use  and  pleasure. 


238        The  Children's  Reading 

Harper's  Outdoor  Book  for  Boys.    (Adams,  and 
others.) 

How  to  build  and  construct  windmills,  aeroplanes, 
aquariums,  ice-boats,  skees,  tree-huts,  and  other 
things.  Gives  also  detailed  account  of  outdoor 
sports  and  of  camping. 

Official  Handbook.  (Boy  Scouts  of  America.) 

Gives  by-laws,  and  treats  among  other  things  of 
scoutcraft,  woodcraft,  campcraft,  health  and  en- 
durance, chivalry,  patriotism,  and  good  citizenship. 
Fine  reading  for  any  boy,  even  if  he  is  not  a  scout 
member. 

Reading-List  for  the    Boy  Scouts    of  America. 
(Rush.) 

An  invaluable  pocket  reading-list  on  animals  and 
their  tracks,  athledcs,  birds,  insects,  camping-out, 
chivalry  and  patriodsm,  first  aid  to  the  injured, 
scoutcraft,  signalling,  woodcraft,  and  other  kindred 
subjects.  Useful  to  any  boy  whether  scout  member 
or  not.    Inexpensive. 

Swimming.  (Brewster.) 

Pracdcal  instructions  for  swimming,  floating,  diving 
and  bathtub  practice,  together  with  a  chapter  on 
teaching  children  to  swim.  Another  good  volume  on 
the  same  subject  is  Dalton's  "How  to  Swim." 

Gardening  and  Home  Pets 

Fresh   Water  Aquarium  and   its   Inhabitants. 
(Eggeling  and  Ehrenberg.) 
Directions  for  stocking  aquarium  and  care  of  speci- 


Useful  Books  239 

Garden  Book  for  Young  People.  (Lounsberry.) 

A  story  in  which  some  young  people  earn  money 
by  means  of  their  garden.  Tells  how  to  prepare 
soil,  plant  seeds,  transplant,  combat  insects,  and 
cultivate  the  flowers.    Illustrated. 

Little  Gardens  for  Boys  and  Girls.  (Higgins.) 
Well  written,  simple,  and  attractive.  For  younger 
children.  Gives  directions  for  making  flower-beds,  for 
planting  seeds,  and  for  the  care  of  flowers.  Illustrated 
with  diagrams  and  photographs.  A  cheaper  volume  is 
Duncan's  "When  Mother  Lets  Us  Garden." 

Our  Home  Pets.  (Miller,  O.  T.) 

Birds,  dogs,  cats,  monkeys,  and  other  pets ;  and 
how  to  keep  them  well  and  happy.  A  good  book 
for  younger  children  is  **  When  Mother  Lets  Us 
Keep  Pets,"  by  Johnson. 

Games,  Magic,  and  Parties 

Book  of  Children's  Parties.  (White.) 

Directions  for  celebrating  birthdays,  holidays,  and 
school  days.  Contains  suggestions  for  properties, 
gifts,  and  favors.  Another  good  and  less  expensive 
book  on  the  same  subject  is  **  When  Mother  Lets 
Us  Give  a  Party,"   by  Yale. 

Conundrums.  (Cutter.) 

Over  one  thousand  conundrums,  riddles,  puzzles, 
and  games.  Inexpensive.  A  book  of  clever  charades 
is  "  A  Century  of  Charades,"  by  Bellamy. 

Magic.  (Hopkins.) 

A  complete  and  thrilling  book.  Contains  accounts 
of  ancient  magic,  and  stage  illusions  of  Kellar  and 


240       The  Children's  Reading 

Herrmann.  Explains  mysterious  disappearances, 
conjuring  tricks,  ventriloquism,  mind-reading,  and 
thought-transference. 

Magicians'  Tricks.  (Hatton  and  Plate.) 

Instructions  showing  how  to  perform  familiar  and 
unfamiliar  tricks :  together  with  over  two  hundred 
and  fifty  illustrations.  A  less  expensive  volume  of 
tricks  is  "  Magical  Experiments,"  by  Good. 

What  shall  We  do  Now.  (Canfield,  and  others.) 

Directions  for  playing  all  sorts  of  games.  A  good 
and  less  expensive  volume  is  "Book  of  Games," 
by  White. 

Dramatics  and  Story-Telling 
Ben  Greet  Shakespeare. 

**  Midsummer  Night's  Dream,"  "As  You  Like 
It,"  "The  Merchant  of  Venice,"  and  "The 
Tempest,"  published  in  four  attractive  volumes  for 
the  use  of  amateur  players.  Objectionable  parts 
are  cut  out,  and  the  sequence  of  a  few  scenes  is 
altered  to  facilitate  presentation.  General  rules  for 
acting  are  given  and  also  diagrams  showing  positions, 
together  with  full  directions  for  playing  each  part. 

Children's  Classics  in  Dramatic  Form.  (Steven- 
son.) 

Four  inexpensive  volumes  for  dramatic  reading  or 
simple  acting.  Includes  legends,  fables,  fairy  tales, 
and  miscellaneous  stories. 

Fairy  Tales  a  Child  can  Read  and  Act.  (Nixon.) 

Contains  "  Little  Red  Riding  Hood,"  "  Peter  and 
the  Magic  Goose,"  "Bluebeard,"  "The  Ant  and 


Useful  Books  241 

the  Cricket,"  '*  Hansel  and  Gretel,"  •*  Scenes  from 
Pinocchio,"  "Scenes  from  Alice  in  Wonderland," 
and  "Scenes  from  Through  the  Looking-Glass. " 

House  of  the  Heart.  (Mackay.) 

Ten  one-act  plays,  each  conveying  a  lesson  of  courage, 
gentle  manners,  or  contentment.  Accompanied  by 
directions  for  stage-settings,  costumes,  and  acting. 

How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children.  (Bryant.) 

Contains  directions  for  story-telling  and  for  adapting 
stories  j  also  a  number  of  good  stories  to  tell,  together 
with  lists  of  other  stories  for  adaptation  and  telling. 

Little  Plays.  (Dalkeith.) 

Small  inexpensive  volume  arranged  for  little  people. 
Contains  "  Sir  Gareth  of  Orkney,"  "  The  Princess 
and  the  Swineherd,"  "King  Alfred  and  the 
Cakes,"  "  Scene  from  Robin  Hood,"  and  "Scene 
from  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin." 

Patriotic  Plays  and  Pageants.  (Mackay.) 

Including  tableaux,  short  one-act  plays,  and  long 
pageants,  all  based  on  American  historical  incident 
and  story.  Gives  directions  for  simple  stage-settings 
and  acting. 

St.  Nicholas  Book  of  Plays  and  Operettas. 

Seventeen  plays  and  operettas  with  music,  illustra- 
tions, and  diagrams.  Collected  from  "St.  Nicho- 
las Magazine." 

Business  Boys  and  Girls 
Helps  for  Ambitious  Girls.  (Drysdale.) 

Advice  concerning  employments  and  professions. 
The  companion  volume  to  this  is  "  Helps  for  Am^ 
bitious  Boys." 


242        The  Children's  Reading 

Letters  to  the  Farm  Boy.  (Wallace.) 

Advice  on  questions  of  education  and  ethics. 

Winning  Out.   (Marden.) 

Ethics  of  daily  life  and  work  illustrated  by  story  and 
anecdote.  The  companion  volume  to  this  is  "Suc- 
cess." 

Some  Notable  Modern  AchievemenU 

Boys'  Book  of  Airships.    (Delacombe.) 

Balloons,  dirigibles,  kites,  gliders,  and  aeroplanes  ; 
their  evolution,  construction,  and  use. 

Boys'  Book  of  Inventions.  (Baker.) 

Treats  among  other  things  of  liquid  air,  motor-cycles. 
X-ray  photography,  and  the  phonograph.  Its  com- 
panion volume,  "  The  Boys'  Second  Book  of  In- 
ventions," tells  of  wireless  telegraphy,  solar-motors, 
flying-machines,  and  other  recent  inventions. 

Boys'   Book  of  Steamships.  (Howden.) 

History  of  navigation  and  the  art  of  shipbuilding, 
with  special  reference  to  steam  vessels  including 
river,  lake,  and  ocean  types.  With  one  hundred 
photographic  illustrations. 

Careers  of  Danger  and  Daring.  (MofFett.) 

Of  the  deeds  of  steeple-climbers,  deep-sea  divers, 
balloonists,  pilots,  bridge-builders,  locomotive  engi- 
neers, and  other  heroes  of  everyday  life. 

Fighting  a  Fire.  (Hill.) 

Organization  of  a  great  fire  department,  and  the 
training  and  heroism  of  firemen. 

How  it  is  Made.  (Williams.) 

Tells  of  the  manufacture  of  many  articles  such  as 


Useful  Books  243 

paper,  candles,  soap,  cloth,  china,  guns,  watches, 
cycles,  pins,  wire,  and  rope.  Its  companion  vol- 
ume, ••  How  it  is  Done,"  describes  the  making 
of  bridges,  railways,  dams,  canals,  harbors,  tunnels, 
and  other  engineering  feats.  For  older  children  and 
adults. 

Story  of  Gold  and  Silver.  (Samuel.) 

Also,  the  "Story  of  Cotton,"  by  Curtis.  Two 
pretty  stories  of  the  experiences  of  children  who 
learn  much  about  mining  of  gold  and  silver  and  its 
use  as  money,  and  about  the  raising  and  weaving 
of  cotton.   For  younger  children. 

Books  for  the  Nature-Lover 
Animals. 

Chapters  on  Animals.  (Hamerton.) 

Of  dogs,  cats,  horses,  birds  and  wild  beasts.  Illus- 
trated with  reproductions  after  Landseer,  Millais, 
Bonheur,  and  other  artists.   Small  book,  inexpensive. 

Four-Handed  Folk.  (Miller,  O.  T.) 

Of  lemurs,  marmosets,  a  spider-monkey,  and  other 
monkey  pets. 

Squirrels  and  other  Fur-Bearers.  (Burroughs.) 

Includes  the  chipmunk,  woodchuck,  rabbit,  hare, 
muskrat,  fox,  weasel,  porcupine,  and  others  of 
their  kin.  Illustrated  with  fifteen  colored  pictures 
after  Audubon. 

Training  of  Wild  Animals.   (Bostock.) 

The  great  wild-animal  trainer  tells  here  of  methods 
employed  in  training  lions,  tigers,  and  other  beasts ; 
also  of  the  perils  of  wild-animal  trainers. 


244        The  Children's  Reading 

True  Bear  Stories.  (Miller,  Joaquin.) 

Fascinating  tales  of  the  badness  and  mischief  of 
bears  wild  or  tame. 

Wilderness  Pets  at  Camp  Buckshaw.  (Breck.) 

Of  camp  pets  ;  bears,  gulls,  and  other  animals  and 
birds. 

Astronomy. 

Astronomy  from  a  Dipper.  (Clarke.) 

Pocket  handbook  showing  how  to  locate  stars  by 
means  of  the  Dipper.   Inexpensive. 

Children's  Book  of  Stars.  (Mitton.) 

Interesting  things  about  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars. 
Colored  pictiu-es.   Gift-book  for  younger  children. 

Easy  Guide  to  the  Constellations.  (Gall.) 

With  a  miniatiu-e  atlas  of  the  stars. 

Half-Hours  with  the  Summer  Stars.  (Proctor.) 

Helpful  information  for  the  star-gazer,  together 
with  myths  and  legends  about  the  stars.  Pleasant 
reading  as  well  as  useful. 

Star-Land.  (Ball.) 

About  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  comets,  shooting-stars, 
and  other  wonders  of  the  heavens.  Tells  also  of  the 
discoveries  of  Kepler,  Herschel,  and  other  astron- 
omers.  Illustrated. 

Stories  of  the  Great  Astronomers.  (Holden.) 

Of  ancient  and  modern  astronomers  and  their  dis- 
coveries. 


Useful  Books  245 

Birds. 

Bird  Book.  (Eckstorm.) 

Less  expensive  than  Chapman,  and  for  younger 
children.  Contains  descriptions  of  many  common 
birds,  and  suggestions  for  observation.   Illustrated. 

Bird  Homes.  (Dugmore.) 

Shows  nests  and  eggs.  Illustrated  with  sixteen 
colored  plates  and  many  half-tone  pictures  from 
photographs.  A  fine  picture  book  as  well  as  useful 
to  bird-lovers. 

Bird  Life.  (Chapman.) 

Contains  field  key  to  common  birds,  descriptions 
of  each  species,  and  chapters  on  the  structure  of 
birds  and  on  their  migrations.  With  seventy-five 
colored  plates.  For  young  people  and  adults.  Also, 
•*  Color  Key  to  North  American  Birds,"  containing 
descriptions  and  pictures  of  birds. 

Bird  Stories  from  Burroughs. 

Collection  of  delightful  stories,  printed  in  clear  type, 
and  readable  for  younger  children  as  well  as  for  older 
ones.  Illustrated  in  color  and  black  and  white.  Text- 
book cover.   Inexpensive. 

First  Book  of  Birds.  (Miller,  O.  T.) 

Also,  "Second  Book  of  Birds."  These  are  the 
best  bird  books  for  children.  Follow  with  **  Bird 
Book,"  by  Eckstorm;  "Bird  Stories  from  Bur- 
roughs," and  "True  Bird  Stories"  by  O.  T. 
Miller. 


246       The  Children's  Reading 

Insects. 

Butterflies  and  Bees.  (Morley.) 

Excellent  elementary  book.  Precede  with  **  Bee 
People,"  by  Morley,  and  follow  with  *•  Insect 
Stories,"  by  Kellogg.  Two  cheap  and  handy  pam- 
phlets for  field  use  are  '•  Common  Butterflies  and 
Moths  of  America  and  Europe,"  and  ••Common 
American  and  European  Insects." 

Butterfly  Book.  (Holland.) 

Large  volume  giving  much  valuable  information. 
Illustrated  with  forty-eight  colored  plates,  and  with 
many  pictures' in  black  and  white.  Shows  nearly  all 
well-known  species  of  butterflies  in  America  north 
of  Mexico.  Fine  picture  book,  as  well  as  reference 
book  for  butterfly  collectors. 

Frail  Children  of  the  Air.  (Scudder.) 

*•  Excursions  into  the  world  of  butterflies."  Illus- 
trated.   For  young  people  and  adults. 

Grasshopper  Land.  (Morley.) 

About  grasshoppers,  locusts,  katydids,  and  crickets. 
With  over  one  hundred  illustrations  by  the  author. 
For  younger  children.  Another  interesting  and 
authoritative  book  for  younger  children  is  A.  B. 
Comstock's  *•  Ways  of  the  Six-Footed." 

Manual  for  the  Study  of  Insects.  (Comstock, 
J.  H.  and  A.  B.) 

For  the  young  collector.  Describes  common  species, 
and  their  habits.  Well  illustrated  and  contains  keys 
to  orders  and  families. 


Useful  Books  247 

Fishes. 

Boys'  Own  Guide  to  Fishing.  (Keene.) 
Fishing,  tackle-making,  and  fish-breeding. 

Story  of  the  Fishes.  (Baskett.) 
Habits  and  haunts  of  fishes. 
Flowers. 

Field  Book  of  American  Wild  Flowers.    (Ma- 
thews.) 

A  handy  book  for  field  work.  Contains  brief  de- 
scriptions of  many  flowers,  together  with  numerous 
illustrations  helpful  in  identification.  Arrangement 
according  to  family.    Full  index. 

Flowers  and  their  Friends.  (Morley.) 

Popular  and  for  younger  children.  Companion  vol- 
ume to  this  is  **  Little  Wanderers,"  which  tells  how 
seeds  travel  by  flying,  floating,  shooting,  clinging, 
and  tumbling.    Illustrated. 

How  to  Know  the  Wild  Flowers.  (Dana.) 
Gives  descriptions  of  many  flowers,  together  with 
legends  and  myths  about  flowers  and  plants.  More 
readable  than  Matthews's  **  Field  Book  of  American 
Wild  Flowers,"  but  not  so  portable  or  so  useful  in 
the  field. 

Plants  and  their  Children.  (Dana.) 

Tells  of  fruits,  seeds,  roots,  stems,  buds,  leaves, 
flowers.   For  younger  children. 

Geology. 

Boy  Mineral  Collectors.  (Kelley.) 

Treats  of  mineral  collections;  also  of  gold,  gems, 
and  semi -precious  stones. 


248       The  Children's  Reading 

Coal  and  Coal  Mines.  (Greene.) 

Coal,  its  discovery,  mining,  preparation,  and  use. 

First  Book  in  Geology.  (Shaler.) 

Pebbles,  sand,  soils,  volcanoes,  fossils,  rocks,  and 
other  formations.   Text-book  in  appearance. 

Paleontology. 

Animals  of  the  Past.  (Lucas.) 

Fossils  and  how  they  are  formed,  earliest  known 
vertebrates,  birds  of  old,  dinosaurs,  ancestors  of  the 
horse,  mammoths  and  mastodons,  and  why  anim^ds 
become  extinct.   For  young  people  and  adults. 

Life  of  a  Fossil  Hunter.  (Sternberg.) 

Explorations  in  the  fossil  beds  of  Kansas,  Texas, 
Oregon,  and  other  States.  Introduction  by  Professor 
Osborn. 

Trees. 

Familiar  Trees  and  their  Leaves.    (Mathews.) 

Birches,  elms,  oaks,  maples,  magnolias,  willows, 
and  other  trees.  Colored  illustrations  and  two  hun- 
dred drawings  by  the  author. 

Story  of  Lumber.  (Bassett.) 

Story  of  boy  in  a  New  Brunswick  lumber  camp.  In- 
teresting, and  gives  much  information  about  lumber 
camps  and  conservation. 

The  Land  we  Live  in.  (Price.) 

Boy's  book  of  conservation.  Contains  much  miscel- 
laneous information  about  forests  and  forestry. 


Useful  Books  249 

fVater. 

Book  of  the  Ocean.  (IngersoU.) 

About  ocean  waves,  currents,  and  tides ;  also  tells 
of  ships,  lighthouses,  and  ocean  dangers. 

Brooks  and  Brook  Basins.  (Frye.) 

Thirteen  stories  about  land  and  water  forms,  atmo- 
sphere, and  brook  courses.  Illustrated.  For  younger 
children. 

In  Brook  and  Bayou.  (Bayliss.) 

Study  of  the  lower  forms  of  animal  life  that  live  in 
brook,  bog,  and  pool. 

Sea  Wonders  for  Wonder  Eyes.  (Hardy.) 

On  water-drops,  sea-sand,  sea-anemones,  jelly  fish, 
sponges,  crabs,  and  other  wonders.  Attractively 
illustrated.  For  younger  children.  Its  companion 
volume,  **  The  Hall  of  Shells,"  tells  of  pearls,  bar- 
nacles, sea-flowers,  and  shells. 

Water  Wonders  Every  Child  Should  Know. 
(Thompson.) 

Charming  little  studies  of  dew,  frost,  snow,  ice,  and 
rain. 

Miscellaneous  Natural  History  Books. 

American  Natural  History.  (Hornaday.) 

Mammals,  birds,  reptiles,  amphibians,  and  fishes. 
Fully  illustrated  and  authoritative.  For  young  people 
and  adults. 

Natural  History.  (Miles.) 

Popular  anecdotes.   Illustrated  in  color. 


250       The  Children's  Reading 

Outdoors,  Indoors,  and  Up  the  Chimney.  (Mc- 
Ilvaine.) 

Short  explanations  of  such  things  as  '♦  Why  the  Stove 
Smokes,"  "Our  Friends  the  Toadstools,  "The 
Beginning  of  Plants,"  ''Plants  that  Poison," 
"Fireflies,"  and  "Jack  Frost." 

Popular  Natural  History.  (Wood.) 

Readable  account,  illustrated  with  five  hundred  pic- 
tures of  birds,  animals,  and  reptiles. 

Stories    Mother    Nature    told    her    Children. 
(Andrews.) 

Stories  much  liked  by  little  children.  About  amber, 
coal,  Indian  corn,  flowers,  sea-life,  frost,  and  other 
things  in  nature. 

On  the  Observation  of  Nature  —  For  Young  People. 

Compleat  Angler.  (Walton.) 

In  the  Wilderness.  (Warner.) 

Natural  History  and  Antiquities  of  Selborne. 
(White.) 

Old  Red  Sandstone.  (Miller,  Hugh.) 

Sharp  Eyes.  (Gibson.) 

Also  "  Eye  Spy,"  and  "  Blossom  Hosts." 

Wake-Robin.  (Burroughs.) 

Also,  "  Locusts  and  Wild  Honey,"  and  the  selec- 
tions from  his  works  published  under  the  title,  "  A 
Year  in  the  Fields." 

Walden.  (Thoreau.)  ^ 
Watcher  in  the  Woods.  (Sharp.) 


Useful  Books  251 

Nature  Fiction. 

Animal  Stories  Retold  from  St.  Nicholas. 

Six  volumes,  as  follows:  **  About  Animals," 
**  Brave  Dogs,"  **  Cat  Stories,"  "  Bear  Stories," 
"Lion  and  Tiger  Stories,"  "Panther  Stories." 

Animal  Story  Book.  (Lang.) 

Anecdote  and  adventure.  Companion  volume  is  the 
**  Red  Book  of  Animal  Stories."  Charmingly  illus- 
trated by  Ford. 

Black  Beauty.  (Sewell.) 

**  Autobiography  of  a  horse." 
Farmer  Brown  and  the  Birds.  (Fox.) 

In  which  the  birds  try  the  farmer  for  cruelty. 
Four  Hundred  Animal  Stories.  (Cochrane.) 

Interesting  anecdotes. 
Kindred  of  the  Wild.  (Roberts.) 

Delightful  stories  about  forest  animals,  by  a  true 
nature-lover. 

Wild  Animals  I  Have  Known.   (Thompson- 
Seton.) 

Romantic  stories  about  animals.  Also,  "  Biography 
of  a  Grizzly,"  and  "  Lives  of  the  Hunted."  Two 
volumes  of  selections  from  the  latter  book  are  pub- 
lished under  the  titles  "  Krag  and  Johnny  Bear," 
and  **  Lobo,  Rag,  and  Vixen." 


CHAPTER   XIV 

RELIGIOUS  BOOKS 

«'  But  continue  thou  in  the  things  luhich  thou  bast  learned 
and  hast  been  assured  of,  knoaving  ofavhom  thou  hast  learned 
them ;  and  that  from  a  child  thou  bast  knonvn  the  holy  scrip- 
tures, tjvhich  are  able  to  make  thee  ivise  unto  salvation 
through  faith  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  All  scripture  is  given 
by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  re- 
proof, for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness :  that 
the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  tvorks.""  — St.  Paul. 

THE  chief  functions  of  the  best  secular 
literature  are  to  exercise,  develop  and 
stock  the  mental  faculties;  to  enrich  the 
power  of  expression ;  and  to  show  the  work- 
ings of  the  laws  of  life,  pointing  the  distinc- 
tion between  good  and  evil,  not  merely  by 
showing  the  good,  but  also  by  presenting, 
in  its  right  perspectives,  such  evil  as  is  within 
the  comprehension  of  children.  It  also  shuts 
off  the  influence  of  bad  books,  which  have 
such  a  tremendous  power  to  sway  children's 
actions. 


Religious  Books  253 

But  though  secular  literature  can  do  this, 
and  thus  becomes  an  important  factor  in  char- 
acter-building, and  to  a  certain  extent  is  able 
to  arouse  the  spiritual  sense,  yet  it  has  not  the 
power  to  quicken  the  will  with  the  impelling 
force  of  the  Bible.  The  eyes  may  be  opened 
to  the  nature  of  sin  through  the  tasting  of 
the  apple  of  secular  knowledge,  but  it  is  the 
power  of  the  word  of  God  that,  in  the  face 
of  temptations  great  or  small,  bows  the  un- 
derstanding with  conviction  of  the  true  way 
of  righteousness.  "  For  the  word  of  God  is 
quick,  and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any 
twoedged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  divid- 
ing asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the 
joints  and  marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the 
thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart." 

The  Bible  reaches  into  the  soul  and  im- 
pells  the  will  to  action.  It  clarifies  the  doubts 
of  life ;  it  makes  the  rugged  places  smooth ; 
it  comforts  the  afflicted;  and  shows  the 
earnest  searcher  after  truth  the  way  to  eternal 
life,  bringing  him,  through  Christ  Jesus,  from 
the  presence  of  God  the  Judge  into  the 
presence  of  God  the  Father.  The  men  and 


254       The  Children's  Reading 

women  of  the  Bible  lived  and  were  human 
like  ourselves.  All  their  acts  are  shown,  good 
and  bad ;  their  hearts  are  shown,  repentant 
and  unrepentant ;  their  deeds  speak  for  or 
against  themselves,  and  are  related  with  lit- 
tle or  no  comment,  the  reader  being  left  to 
judge  the  actions  according  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible. 

For  these  reasons  every  child  should  be 
made  familiar  with  the  Bible  from  baby- 
hood up.  It  should  be  read  aloud  to  him  in 
all  its  dignity  and  grandeur,  not  in  rewritten 
versions  with  sectarian  comments.  The  sim- 
ple but  elevated  language  of  the  Bible, 
especially  of  the  King  James  version,  its 
objective  treatment  and  dramatic  action 
bring  many  parts  of  it  within  the  compre- 
hension of  even  a  very  young  child.  If  it  is 
read  without  theological  comment  he  will 
gradually  learn  its  inner  meanings,  and  draw 
from  it  lessons  untrammeled  by  narrowing 
theological  discussions  which  too  often  ob- 
scure the  simple  but  profound  truths.  He 
will  gain  a  truer  Christian  point  of  view 
from  the  Bible  teaching  uncommented  on 


Religious  Books  255 

than  from  any  adult's  personal  religious  opin- 
ions. 

A  knowledge  of  the  wonderful  interde- 
pendence of  all  parts  of  the  Bible,  and  of 
the  unfolding  of  the  relations  of  God  to  man 
as  shown  therein,  comes  slowly  but  surely  to 
the  child  who  hears  the  Scriptures  read  daily. 
And  as  life  unfolds  for  the  child  himself  he 
will  consciously  or  unconsciously  apply  Bible 
standards  to  all  he  hears  or  does. 

The  religious  instinct  in  little  children  is 
strong  but  expresses  itself  with  simplicity 
and  unquestioning  faith.  The  little  child  will 
often  ask  searching,  logical  questions  with 
the  desire  to  know  the  reasons  for  things, 
questions  which  an  adult  finds  hard  to  answer 
in  the  same  spirit  of  simplicity  and  truth. 
In  the  development  and  feeding  of  the  re- 
ligious instinct  of  little  children  hymns  take 
an  important  place,  either  sung,  read  aloud, 
or  memorized.  The  more  simple  and  dra- 
matic of  the  Bible  stories  read  aloud  are 
much  enjoyed  by  little  children,  and  so  also 
are  the  story  parts  of  "  Pilgrim's  Progress." 

Following  childhood  comes  a  period,  so 


256        The  Children's  Reading 

we  are  told  by  psychologists  and  physicians, 
of  individual  spiritual  awakening  and  un- 
rest It  comes  at  a  time  when  the  youth's 
reason  is  awakening,  when  he  is  in  a  glow 
of  fervor  and  anticipation  of  life,  that  beck- 
ons him  forward  through  rosy  clouds  of  ro- 
maiice  into  an  unknown  but  much  desired 
world  of  action.  At  this  period  there  is  a 
soul  hunger,  which  if  stifled,  dwarfs  or  de- 
stroys this  awakening  inner  life,  and  drags 
manhood  or  womanhood  down  to  the  dead 
level  of  a  material  world. 

"There  is  a  marked  difference,"  writes 
William  Forbush,  "in  the  way  this  'per- 
sonalizing of  religion '  as  Coe  calls  it,  comes 
to  boys  and  girls.  With  boys  it  is  a  later,  a 
more  violent,  and  a  more  sudden  incident. 
With  boys  it  is  more  apt  to  be  associated 
with  periods  of  doubt,  with  girls  with  times 
of  storm  and  stress.  It  seems  to  be  more  apt 
to  come  to  boys  when  alone ;  to  girls  in  a 
church  service." 

During  this  period  both  boy  and  girl  are 
reticent  on  religious  matters,  and  often  trou- 
bling thoughts  seethe  through  their  brains. 


Religious  Books  257 

Questions  of  salvation,  of  relations  to  God, 
of  service  to  Christ,  agitate  and  excite,  and 
this  for  the  most  part  without  the  knowledge 
of  parents  or  teachers.  Books  at  this  period 
have  an  important  function.  If  from  child- 
hood a  boy  and  girl  have  been  made  rightly 
familiar  with  their  Bible  they  will  turn  to 
that  for  explanations  and  strength,  and  it  will 
establish  and  steady  them  during  this  crucial 
and  trying  period.  Even  if  they  enjoy  their 
Bible  the  boy  and  especially  the  girl  will 
still  look  for  a  certain  religious  emotional 
satisfaction  in  secular  reading.  The  old-fash- 
ioned Sunday-school  book  catered  to  this 
craving,  and,  unwholesome  and  hysterical  as 
it  was,  it  met  this  demand  for  vicarious  re- 
ligious experience  through  fiction. 

The  reaction  against  these  morbid,  soul- 
shrieking,  heart-rending  Sunday-school  books 
set  in  some  years  ago.  Many  Sunday-schools 
and  most  public  libraries  have  cast  them  from 
their  shelves,  but  unfortunately  no  wholesome 
body  of  reverent,  religious  fiction  has  grown 
up  in  their  place.  The  attitude  of  the  parent 
to-day  is  antagonistic  to  religious  books.  He 


258        The  Children's  Reading 

is  fearful  lest  his  child  read  a  book  present- 
ing sectarian  ideas  not  acknowledged  by  him- 
self This  attitude  together  with  the  influ- 
ence of  our  materialistic  age  are  reacting 
seriously  on  modern  juvenile  fiction.  The 
popular  author  of  to-day  dares  scarcely  men- 
tion the  name  of  God,  and  assuredly  not  of 
Christ,  lest  it  affect  the  sale  of  his  book.  The 
children's  book-cases  and  the  public  chil- 
dren's library  department  are  stocked  with 
books  many  of  which  are  pure,  beautiful, 
and  moral,  but  which  are  largely  lacking  in 
those  qualities  that  feed  the  soul.  The  pub- 
lic library  is  a  tax-supported  institution  and 
as  such  must  be  nonsectarian,  but  there  is 
ample  room  on  its  shelves  for  books  of  a 
reverent  Christian  character,  which  are  not 
written  to  forward  the  cause  of  any  sect. 

The  number  of  reverent,  nonsectarian  ju- 
venile books  of  fiction  may  almost  be  counted 
on  the  fingers  of  one's  hands.  Among  these 
are  "  Daughter  of  the  Rich,"  "  Donkey  John 
of  the  Toy  Valley,"  "Captain  Phil,"  "Wul- 
noth  the  Wanderer,"  "Chilhowee  Boys,** 
**The  Luck  of  the  Dudley  Grahams,"  "Mas- 


Religious  Books  259 

terman  Ready,"  "  The  Swordmaker's  Son," 
and  Mrs.  Gatty's  "Parables  from  Nature"; 
and  even  some  of  these  stories  are  not  par- 
ticularly zealous  in  presenting  religious  ideas. 
The  present  writer  has  just  read  through  a 
series  of  four  volumes  telling  about  a  sweet- 
tempered  little  girl,  a  minister's  daughter  in 
a  small  town,  who  helps  to  make  happy  her 
father's  congregation.  The  reader  could  not 
find  the  name  of  God  mentioned  until  to- 
wards the  end  of  the  fourth  volume  when 
the  doxology  was  sung  "with  vim"  at  a 
school  entertainment. 

More  reprehensible  even  than  the  lack  of 
reverent  juvenile  fiction,  is  the  usual  man- 
ner of  rewriting  Bible  stories.  Sectarianism, 
insipid  language  and  sentimental  ideas  take 
the  place  of  the  dignified,  simple  Bible  nar- 
ration. From  a  literary  standpoint  alone  the 
Bible  cannot  be  improved  on.  Children  can 
understand  and  like  it,  and  its  succession  of 
clear,  well-defined  pictures,  unembarrassed  by 
detail,  enter  and  make  a  clean-cut  impres- 
sion on  the  mind. 

Take  for  example  a  certain  volume  of 


26o       The  Children's  Reading 

Bible  stories,  whose  author  claims  to  "  retell 
the  stories  in  literary  form."  The  death  of  Sis- 
era  in  the  story  of  Jael  offers  a  good  illus- 
tration. The  Bible  narrative  is  as  follows : 
"  Then  Jael,  Heber's  wife,  took  a  nail  of  the 
tent,  and  took  a  hammer  in  her  hand,  and 
went  softly  unto  him,  and  smote  the  nail 
into  his  temples,  and  fastened  it  into  the 
ground;  for  he  was  fast  asleep  and  weary. 
So  he  died." 

The  retold  version  reads:  "Ah,  what  is 
that  on  the  ground  at  her  feet?  A  long 
sharp-pointed  tent  pin  lies  there,  and  near  it 
is  a  heavy  hammer.  She  can  handle  these 
more  easily  than  a  sword.  Softly  on  tip-toe 
she  goes  behind  the  curtains.  She  stoops 
over  the  sleeping  man.  The  cloak  does  not 
wholly  cover  his  head.  The  Gazelle  holds 
the  tent  pin  in  one  hand,  and  the  hammer  in 
the  other.  She  shudders.  A  moment  later 
she  runs  shrieking  from  the  tent.  With  white 
face  and  frightened  eyes,  she  stands  under 
the  palm  trees  and  listens.  There  is  no  sound 
in  the  tents  save  the  crying  of  a  child  that 
has  been  wakened  from  its  sleep." 


Religious  Books  261 

The  author  also  informs  the  child  that  he 
does  not  know  how  many  times  Abel  taunted 
Cain,  and  of  Sarah,  that  "niilety  years  old 
though  she  was,  she  was  as  fair  and  lovely 
as  when  the  Chief  had  wooed  her  in  her  girl- 
hood in  the  Valley  of  the  Euphrates,  more 
than  seventy  summers  before."  Further  it  is 
hard  to  recognize  the  heroes  of  this  book  as 
familiar  Bible  characters.  Isaac  and  Rebecca 
appear  as  "  Laughter  and  Beauty,"  Samson  as 
"  Splendid  Sun,"  Gideon  as  "  Idol  Breaker," 
and  Jesse  and  David  as  "  Wealth  and  Dar- 
ling." These  may  be  the  meanings  of  the 
names  in  their  original  language  but  trans- 
lating them  into  plain,  everyday  English 
surely  takes  from  their  strength  and  beauty. 
If  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  interest  a 
child  in  Bible  reading  through  the  use  of 
retold  stories,  the  parent  will  find  a  very 
simple  and  popular  rendition  in  Foster's 
"  Story  of  the  Bible." 

Before  closing  this  volume  it  is  interest- 
ing to  note  what  an  important  part  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Bible  has  played  in  developing 
the  best  of  secular  literature  for  children. 


262        The  Children's  Reading 

The  evaluator  of  children's  books  is  con- 
stantly struck  with  the  fact  that,  excepting 
for  occasional  lapses,  taking  all  in  all,  a  won- 
derfully high  standard  of  morals  pervades 
these  stories.  This  is  especially  true  of  ju- 
venile literature  borrowed  from  folk-litera- 
ture. But  on  turning  to  the  latter  source 
from  whence  stories  are  derived  the  reader 
finds  it  turbid  with  fetichism,  cannibalism, 
human  sacrifice,  idol-worship,  man-worship, 
devil-worship,  and  with  rites,  rituals,  and 
morals  contradictory  to  Christian  principles, 
and  so  confused  with  good  that  it  is  difficult 
for  the  untaught  to  distinguish  the  bad  from 
the  good. 

Yet  amid  this  turbidity  the  reader  may 
find  many  pure  and  moral  precepts,  and 
ethical  interpretations  of  truth  and  much 
sublime  poetry,  lying  like  glittering  gold  in 
rocky  matrix.  This  literary  gold,  separated 
from  its  dross,  forms  the  nucleus  of  the  best 
of  secular  liteVature  for  children.  And  the 
touchstone  that  tests  the  royal  metal,  and 
finds  it  pure,  is  the  moral  standard  derived 
from  the   Bible.   For  it  is  public  opinion, 


Religious  Books  26^ 

based  on  Christian  teachings  of  what  is  right 
and  wrong,  that  consciously  or  unconsciously 
influences  parents,  teachers,  and  the  best  of 
juvenile  writers,  to  give  children  books  that 
will  bear  the  test  of  accepted  principles,  and 
will  aid  in  making  noble  men  and  women 
according  to  the  demands  of  a  moral  Chris- 
tian world. 

The  enlightened  public  insists  on  honest 
and  noble  books  for  the  children.  Condem- 
nation lies  on  the  book  inculcating  low 
thoughts  and  ideas.  The  author  wishing  a 
lasting  success  for  his  books  reaches  upward 
toward  the  set  standard  and  the  result  is  that 
"The  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments"  ap- 
pears stripped  of  its  grossness,  while  its  rich- 
ness of  color,  its  virtues  of  hospitality.  East- 
ern generosity,  and  reverence  for  age  are 
emphasized.  The  Greek  classics  lose  their 
impurities  and  appear  in  their  heroic  or  deli- 
cate beauty.  Juvenile  stories  of  the  Red  In- 
dian are  permeated  by  a  reverence  for  the 
Great  Spirit,  that  is  most  impressive,  but 
when  considered  in  their  native  setting  of 
fierceness  and  fetich  ism  these  ideas  are  by 


264        The  Children's  Reading 

no  means  so  impressive.  King  Arthur  leg- 
ends, edited  or  adapted  for  children,  are 
cleansed  of  much  that  is  unfit  for  boys  and 
girls,  and  the  chivalrous  side  is  brought  out 
strongly.  The  best  of  modern  fiction  for 
children  emphasizes  virtues  that  are  gener- 
ally accepted,  if  not  always  practiced  by 
the  Christian  world.  All  juvenile  literature 
now-a-days  is  held  up  to  the  accepted 
standard  and  that  falling  short  of  a  reason- 
able degree  of  excellency  will  doubtless  not 
live  long. 

Thus,  much  of  the  best  world  literature 
is  more  or  less  purified  for  the  children  by 
the  action  of  Christian  standards  derived 
from  the  Bible,  and  becomes  a  complement 
of  the  ethical  and  moral  teaching  of  the  Bible 
itself  But  among  all  the  books  of  literature 
thus  converted  to  the  children's  use,  the 
Holy  Bible  towers  like  a  mountain  of  divine 
strength  amid  little  foot-hills  which  reflect  the 
light  that  made  Moses's  face  to  shine. 


Religious  Books  265 


SOME   SUGGESTED   READINGS    FROM 
THE   BIBLE 

If  children  are  not  too  young  it  is  well  to  read  the  Bible 
systematically  through  to  them,  shipping  genealogies  and 
unsuitable  parts.  If,  however,  the  children  are  quite 
•joung  the  following  Bible  stories  will  interest  them. 
Children  should  be  urged  to  memorize  beautiful  and  help- 
ful selections  from  the  Scriptures.  A  list  of  such  is  ap- 
pended here.  The  treasures  of  the  Bible  are  literary  as 
well  as  religious  and  moral.  The  man  or  woman  is  not 
thoroughly  educated  who  is  unfamiliar  with  Bible  stories 
and  allusions  constantly  used  in  secular  literature,  because 
of  their  force  in  pointing  a  moral.  In  making  the  selec- 
tions here  this  literary  side  has  been  considered  as  well  as 
the  religious  side. 

From  the  Old  Testament 

The  Creation  and  the.  Garden^ of  Eden,  Genesis 
i^iTf  T{oah^s_Arkj  Genesis -Vi-ix  ;  The  Tower  of 
Babel,  Genesis  xi  ;  Lot's  Wife,  Genesis  xviii-xix  ; 
Abraham  and  Isaac,  Genesis  xxii ;  Jacob's  Ladder. 
Genesis  xxviii  ;  Joseph,  Genesis  xxxvii,  xxxix- 
L ;  The  Ten  Plagues  and  the  Exodus,  Exodus 
I— XV  ;  Manna  in  the  Wilderness,  Exodus  xvi  ; 
The  Ten~Commandments,  Exodus  xix-xx,  xxiv, 
xxxi-xxxiv  ;  Moses  and  the  Rock,  Numbers  xx ; 
The  Serpents  in  the  Wilderness,  Numbers  xxi ; 
Balaam's  Ass,  Numbers  xxii— xxiv  ;  The  Burial  of 
Moses,  Deuteronomy  xxxiv  ;  The  Fall  of  Jericho, 
Joshua  i-vi  ;  The  Judges,  Judges  n ;  Gideon's 
Fleece,  Judges  vi-viii ;  Jephthah's  Daughter,  Judges 


266       The  Children's  Reading 

XI ;  Samson,  Judges  xiii— xiv  ;  Ruth  ;  Th^^hild 
Samuel,  i  Samuel  i-iii ;  David  and  GoIia!h,  i 
Samuel  XVII ;  Jonathan  and  E>avi3,  and  the  Cave 
of  En-gedi,  i  Samuel,  xviii-xxiv  ;  Thf  ^'fdorcLj^f 
Solomon,  I  Kings  iii ;  The  Queen  of  Sheba,  i 
Kings  x;  Elijah  and  the  Ravens,  i  Kings  xvn ; 
Elijah  and  BaaPsT^pKets,  i  Kings  xviii  ;  Naboth's 
Vineyard,  i  Kings  xxi ;  Elijah  and  the  Chariot  of 
Fire,  2  Kings  n  ;  Elisha  and  the  Widows' s  Son, 
2  Kings  IV ;  Naaman,  2  Kings  v  ;  Jezebel,  2  Kings 
IX ;  The  Destruction  of  Sennacherib,  2  Kings  xix  ; 
Manasseh,  2  Chronicles  xxxiii  ;  The  Babylonian 
Captivity,  2  Chronicles  xxxvi  ;  Esther  ;  Daniel ; 
Jonah. 

From  the  New  Testament 

The  lift  of  Christ  as  told  in  the  four  Gospels  is  simple  enough 
to  be  understood  by  young  children,  therefore  selections 
are  not  given  here.  The  follo'wing  are  the  beautiful 
parables,  and  afetv  of  the  acts  of  the  apostles. 

The  Sower,  St.  Matthew  xiii,  St.  Mark  iv,  St. 
Luke  VIII ;  The  Debtor,  St.  Matthew  xviii;  La- 
borers in  the  Vineyard,  St.  Matthew  xx;  Husband- 
men and  the  Vineyard,  St.  Matthew  xxi,  St.  Mark 
XII,  St.  Luke  XX;  Marriage  of  the  King's  Son,  St. 
Matthew  xxii;  The  Ten  Virgins,  and  the  Talents, 
St.  Matthew  xxv;  The  Good  Samaritan,  St.  Luke 
x;  The  Lost  Sheep,  and  The  Prodigal  Son,  St. 
Luke  XV ;  Lazarus  the  Beggar,  St.  Luke  xvi;  The 
Good  Shepherd,  St.  John  x;  The  Gate  Beautiful, 
Acts  III;  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  Acts  v;  Stephen  the 
Martyr,  Acts  vi-viii;  Saul's  Conversion,  Acts  ix; 
Peter's  Vision,    Acts   x ;  Paul's  Shipwreck,   Acts 

XXVII-XXVIII. 


Religious  Books  267 

For  Memorizing 

And  Jacob  blessed  Pharaoh,  Genesis  xlvii,   7-1  o; 

I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  Exodus  xx,  i  — 17;  The 
Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee.  Numbers  vi,  24— 
26;  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  Ruth  i,  16-17; 
Then  the  Lord  answered.  Job  xxxviii;  Hast  thou 
given  the  horse  strength?  Job  xxxix,  19-25; 
Psalms  I,  XV,  xix,  xxiii,  xxiv,  xxvii,  xxxii,  li, 
xci,  cm,  cxix,  cxx,  cxxxiii;  Proverbs  in,  vi,  viii; 
And  there  shall  come  forth  a  rod,  Isaiah  xi,  i-io; 
Behold  my  servant,  Isaiah  xlii,  1—9;  Who  hath 
believed  our  report?  Isaiah  liii;  Arise,  shine;  for  thy 
light  is  come,  Isaiah  Lx,  1-5;  The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  God  is  upon  me,  Isaiah  lxi,  1-2;  Behold,  I 
will  send  my  messenger,  Malachi  in,  1-2;  And 
seeing  the  multitudes,  St.  Matthew  v,  i  — ii;  Our 
Father  which  art  in  heaven,  St.  Matthew  vi,  9— 
13;  Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air,  St.  Matthew  vi, 
26-34;  ^y  ^°"^  ^ot\v  magnify  the  Lord,  St.  Luke 
I,  46-55;  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant,  St. 
Luke  II,  29—32;  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  St. 
John  in,  i6-r8;  I  am  the  bread  of  life,  St.  John 
VI,  35-40;  I  am  the  good  shepherd,  St.  John  x, 

II  — 15;  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  St.  John 
XIV ;  I  am  the  true  vine,  St.  John  xv,  1-14;  For  I 
am  persuaded,  Romans  viii,  38—39;  O  the  depth 
of  the  riches,  Romans  xi,  33—36  ;  Though  I  speak 
with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels,  1  Corinth- 
ians XIII ;  And  I  saw  a  new  heaven.  Revelation 
XXI ;  And  he  shewed  me  a  pure  river.  Revelation 

XXII. 


268       The  Children's  Reading 

Stories  to  tell  or  read  aloud  from  The  Pilgrim*  s  Pro- 
gress 

The  Slough  of  Despond  and  the  Wicket- Gate  ;  The 
House  of  the  Interpreter;  Lions  in  the  Way,  and 
the  Palace  Beautiful ;  Apollyon  and  the  Valley  of 
Humiliation;  Vanity  Fair;  Giant  Despair  and  Doubt- 
ing Castle;  The  Shepherds  of  the  Delectable  Mount- 
ains; Christian  and  Hopeful  enter  the  Celestial  City; 
Christiana  sets  out  on  her  journey;  The  Forbidden 
Fruit;  The  Interpreter's  House  and  Greatheart; 
Greatheart  conquers  Old  Grimm;  Greatheart  over- 
comes Maul  the  Giant;  Greatheart  kills  Giant  De- 
spair; The  Enchanted  Ground;  Christiana  euters  the 
Celestial  City. 

Religious  Books 
The  Bible. 

The  Holy  Bible. 

Authorized  Version. 
New  Testament. 

Authorized  Version. 
Proverbs. 
Psalms.  ^ 

Bible  Stories  in  Bible  Language. 

An  Old,  Old  Story-Book.  (Tappan.) 

Old  Testament  stories  from  the  Authorized  Version. 
Illustrated  by  Keller. 

Narrative  Bible.     (Johnson.) 

From  the  Authorized  Version  with  occasional  word- 


Religious  Books  269 

I'ng  from  the  Revised  Version.  Illustrated  after 
Dore. 

Old  Testament  Stories.  (Chisholm.) 

Stories  selected  for  little  children.  Small  book,  pic- 
ture cover  and  colored  illustrations. 

Stories  from  the  Life  of  Christ.  (Kelman.) 

Selected  for  little  children.  Uniform  with  Chisholm' s 
"  Old  Testament  Stories." 

Stories  from  the  Old  Testament.  (Piatt.) 

For  older  children.    Beautifiilly  illustrated. 

Bible  History. 

Our  Young  Folks'  Josephus.  (Shepard.) 

**  The  Antiquities  of  the  Jews  "  and  "The  Jewish 
Wars"  simplified. 

Saints  and  Heroes.  (Hodges.) 

Interesting  historical  biographies  of  such  saints  and 
heroes  as  Cyprian,  Athanasius,  Ambrose,  Chrysos- 
tom,  Jerome,  Augustine,  Columba,  Anselm,  Wy- 
clifFe,  Hus,  and  Savonarola.  Gives  a  historical  ac- 
count of  the  growth  of  the  Christian  church  until  the 
end  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

Story  of  the  Last  Days  of  Jerusalem.  (Church.) 

Retold  from  Josephus' s  "The  Jewish  Wars." 
Contains  most  interesting  colored  illustrations. 

Sacred  Song  and  Meditation. 

Babies'  Hymnal.  (McFadden.) 

Oblong  gift-book.  Includes  such  simple  well-known 
hymns  as  "Jewels,"  "Jesus  loves  me,"  "Little 


270       The  Children's  Reading 

drops  of  water,"  •*  There  's  a  friend  for  little  child- 
ren," **NowI  layme,"  "  Jesus,  tender  shepherd," 
and  other  songs,  set  to  music.  Dainty  blue  cover 
and  marginal  decorations. 

Divine  and  Moral  Songs.  (Watts.) 

Contains  the  old-fashioned  verses  of"  How  doth  the 
little  busy  bee,"  "Let  dogs  delight  to  bark  and  bite," 
"The  sluggard,"  "Hush!  my  dear,  lie  still  and 
slumber,"  and  other  songs.  Some  of  the  religious 
poems  are  not  particularly  fitting  for  little  children. 

Imitation  of  Christ.  (A  Kempis.) 

For  young  people  and  adults. 

Little  Flowers  of  St.  Francis. 

Selections,  including  his  sermon  to  the  birds. 

Sunday  Book  of  Poetry.  (Alexander.) 

Literary  and  sacred  selections,  including  not  only 
the  most  beautiful  hymns,  but  also  religious  poetry 
by  Milton,  Wordsworth,  Campbell,  Cowper,  Kings- 
ley,  Newman,  and  other  well-known  poets  and  au- 
thors. This  volume  should  be  in  every  child's  library. 
Uniform  with  Palgrave's  "  Golden  Treasury." 

Religious  Fiction. 

Ben-Hur.  (Wallace.) 

Stirring  historical  story  of  the  times  of  Christ.  For 
older  children. 

Child's  Book  of  Saints.  (Canton.) 

A  collection  of  mystic  legends  of  saints  and  minsters. 
Poetic  in  language  and  style.   Good  to  read  aloud. 


Religious  Books  271 

In  Assyrian  Tents.  (Pendleton.) 

Story  of  a  boy  captive  and  of  the  destruction  of 
Sennacherib's  army. 

Nehe.  (Siviter.) 

Story  of  Nehemiah,  King  Artaxerxes's  cupbearer, 
how  he  rebuilt  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

Parables  from  Nature.   (Gatty.) 

Parables  teaching  hope,  helpfulness,  courage,  and 
other  virtues.   Good  to  read  aloud. 

Pilgrim's  Progress.  (Banyan.) 

Two  finely  illustrated  editions  of  this  classic  are  that 
illustrated  by  the  Brothers  Rhead,  and  the  one  with 
colored  pictures  by  Shaw. 

The  First  Christmas  Tree.   (Van  Dyke.) 

Describes  the  mission  of  St.  Boniface,  *'the  Aposde 
of  Germany."  Illustrated  by  Pyle.  Companion 
volume  to  this  is  "The  Lost  Word." 

The  Swordmaker's  Son.  (Brooks,  E.  S.) 

Story  of  a  Jewish  boy  in  the  time  of  Christ.  Told 
with  a  very  reverent  spirit,  and  keeps  closely  to  Bible 
narrative. 

Where  Love  is,  there  God  is  also.  (Tolstoy.) 

Also  its  companion  volume,  "  What  Men  Live  By." 


Appendix 


ONE  HUNDRED  GOOD   STORIES 

TO   TELL 
AND   WHERE   TO   FIND   THEM 

A    GRADED    LIST 

Fables. 

Belling  the  Cat. 

Dog  in  the  Manger. 

Goose  that  Laid  the  Golden  Eggs. 

Lion  and  the  Mouse. 

Shepherd  Boy  and  the  Wolf. 

The  King,  the  Falcon  and  the  Drinking-Cup. 

The  Two  Travelers. 

(In  Dutton,  The  Tortoise  and  the  Geese.) 
Town  Mouse  and  Country  Mouse. 

(In  -^sop.   Fables;  Scudder,  Book  of  Fables,  and 

his  Children's  Book.) 

Cumulative  Tales. 

Cat  and  the  Parrot. 

(In  Bryant,  How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children.) 

Henny-Penny  and  Chicken-Licken. 

(In  Asbjornsen,  Fairy  Tales  from  the  Far  North; 
Jacobs,  English  Fairy  Tales;  Rhys,  Fairy-Gold;  Scud- 
der, Book  of  Folk  Stories,  and  his  Children's  Book.) 


276  Appendix 

House  that  Jack  Built. 

(In  Mother  Goose  Melodies.) 
How  Jack  went  to  Seek  his  Fortune. 

(In  Jacobs,  English  Fairy  Tales.) 

Johnny  Cake. 

(In  Jacobs,  English  Fairy  Tales ;  Wiggin  and 
Smith,  Tales  of  Laughter. ) 

Old  Woman  and  her  Pig. 

(In  Jacobs,  English  Fairy  Tales ;  Mother  Goose 
Melodies ;  Scudder,  Book  of  Folk  Stories;  Wiggin 
and  Smith,  Tales  of  Laughter. ) 

Greek  and  Red  Indian  Nature  Myths. 

Arachne. 

(In  Kupfer,  Legends  of  Greece  and  Rome  ;  Pea- 
body,  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories.) 

Cupid  and  Psyche. 

(In  Peabody,  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories.) 
Echo  and  Narcissus. 

(In  Kupfer,  Legends  of  Greece  and  Rome;  Storr, 

Half-a-Hundred  Hero  Tales.) 

First  Humming  Bird. 

(In  Holbrook,  Nature  Myths.) 

Orpheus  and  Eurydice. 

(In  Kupfer,  Legends  of  Greece  and  Rome;  Pea- 
body,  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories;  Storr,  Half-a-Hun- 
dred  Hero  Tales.) 

Persephone. 

(In  Hawthorne,  Tanglewood  Tales;  Kupfer,  Leg- 


Appendix  277 

ends  of  Greece  and  Rome;  Storr,  Half-a- Hundred 
Hero  Tales. ) 

Phaethon. 

(In  Peabody,  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories;  Storr,  Haif- 
a-Hundred Hero  Tales.) 

Why  the  Peetweet  Cries  for  Rain. 

(In  Holbrook,  Nature  Myths.) 

Folk^  Fairy ^  and  Wonder  Tales. 

Aladdin,  or  the  Wonderful  Lamp. 

(In  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments;  Lang,  Blue 
Fairy  Book;  Scudder,  Children's  Book.) 

Beauty  and  the  Beast. 

(In  Lang,  Blue  Fairy  Book;  Scudder,  Book  of  Folk 
Stories,  and  his  Children's  Book.) 

Cinderella. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Lang,  Blue  Fairy 
Book;  Perrault,  Tales  of  Mother  Goose ;  Rhys, 
Fairy- Gold  ;  Scudder,  Book  of  Folk  Stories,  and  his 
Children's  Book.) 

Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks. 

(In  Scudder,  Children's  Book.) 

Faithful  John. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Lang,  Blue  Fairy 
Book.) 

Fisherman  and  his  Wife. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales ;  Scudder,  Children's 
Book;  Wiggin  and  Smith,  Tales  of  Laughter.) 


278  Appendix 

Hansel  and  Grethei. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Lang,  Blue  Fairy 
Book. ) 

House  in  the  Wood. 

(In  Brooke,  House  in  the  Wood;  Grimm,  House- 
hold Tales.) 

Jack  the  Giant  Killer. 

(In  Jacobs,  English  Fairy  Tales;  Lang,  Blue  Fairy 
Book;  Scudder,  Children's  Book.) 

Little  One-Eye,  Little  Two-Eyes,  Little  Three- 
Eyes. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Scudder,  Book  of 
Folk  Stories,  and  his  Children's  Book.) 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood. 

(In  Lang,  Blue  Fairy  Book;  Perrault,  Tales  of 
Mother  Goose;  Rhys,  Fairy-Gold;  Scudder,  Child- 
ren's Book.) 

Rumpelstiltskin,  or  Tom  Tit  Tot. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Jacobs,  English 
Fairy  Talcs;  Rhys,  Fairy-Gold;  Lang,  Blue  Fairy 
Book ;  Scudder,  Children's  Book ;  Wiggin  and 
Smith,  Tales  of  Laughter. ) 

Sleeping  Beauty. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Perrault,  Tales  of 
Mother  Goose;  Rhys,  Fairy-Gold;  Scudder,  Book 
of  Folk  Stories,  and  his  Children's  Book.) 

Snow-Whitc  and  Rose-Red. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Lang,  Blue  Fairy 
Book;  Scudder,  Children's  Book;  Wiggin  and 
Smith,  Tales  of  Laughter. ) 


Appendix  279 

Three  Bears. 

(In  Brooke,  Golden  Goose  Book;  Jacobs,  English 
Fairy  Tales;  Rhys,  Fairy-Gold;  Scudder,  Book  of 
Folk  Stories,  and  his  Children's  Book.) 

Three  Heads  of  the  Well. 
(In  Jacobs,  English  Fairy  Tales.) 

Three  Little  Pigs. 

(In  Brooke,  Golden  Goose  Book;  Jacobs,  English 
Fairy  Tales;  Wiggin  and  Smith,  Tales  of  Laughter. ) 

Three  Little  Men  in  the  Wood. 
(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales.) 

Three  Wishes. 

(In  Jacobs,  English  Fairy  Tales;  Wiggin  and  Smith, 
Tales  of  Laughter.) 

Toads  and  Diamonds. 

(In  Blaisdell,  Child  Life  in  Many  Lands;  Lang, 
Blue  Fairy  Book.) 

Why  the  Sea  is  Salt. 

(In  Holbrook,  Nature  Myths;  Lang,  Blue  Fairy 
Book.) 

Wolf  and  the  Seven  Little  Kids. 

(In  Grimm,  Household  Tales;  Wiggin  and  Smith, 
Tales  of  Laughter.) 

Greek  Hero  Tales. 
Hercules. 

(In  Kupfer,  Legends  of  Greece  and  Rome  ;  Haw- 
thorne, Wonder-Book;  Storr,  Half-a-Hundred  Hero 
Tales.) 


28o  Appendix 

Jason. 

(In  Hawthorne,  Tanglewood  Tales;  Jacobs,  Book 
of  Wonder  Voyages;  KLingsley,  Heroes;  Kupfer, 
Legends  of  Greece  and  Rome;  Scudder,  Children's 
Book.) 

Midas  and  the  Golden  Touch. 

(In  Hawthorne,  Wonder-Book ;  Storr,  Half-a- 
Hundrcd  Hero  Tales;  Thaxter,  Stories  and  Poems 
for  ChUdren.) 

Perseus. 

(In  Hawthorne,  Wonder-Book;  Kingsley,  Heroes; 
Storr,  Half-a- Hundred  Hero  Tales.) 

Theseus. 

(In  Hawthorne,  Wonder-Book;  Kingsley,  Heroes; 
Storr,  Half-a-Hundred  Hero  Tales.) 

Legendary  and  Historical  Tales. 
Bell  of  Atri. 

(In  Baldwin,  Fifty  Famous  Stories;  Longfellow, 
Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn.) 

Black  Douglas. 

(In  Baldwin,  Fifty  Famous  Stories;  Scott,  Tales  of 
a  Grandfather.) 

Bruce  and  the  Spider. 

(In  Baldwin,  Fifty  Famous  Stories;  Scott,  Tales  of 
a  Grandfather.) 

King  Alfred  and  the  Cakes. 

(In  Baldwin,  Fifty  Famous  Stories;  Escott-Inman, 
Wulnoth  the  Wanderer.) 


Appendix  281 

Little  Hero  of  Harlem. 

(In  Blaisdell,  Child  Life  in  Many  Lands;  Bryant, 
How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children;  Dodge,  Hans 
Brinker. ) 

Sword  of  Damocles. 

(In  Baldwin,  Fifty  Famous  Stories.) 

William  Tell. 

(In  Baldwin,  Fifty  Famous  Stories.) 

The  following  story  cycles  are  arranged  in  order  of 
telling. 

Norse  Myths. 

Valhalla  and  its  Gods. 
Iduna  and  her  Apples. 
Sif's  Hair. 

Thor  and  the  Frost  Giants. 
Thor  and  the  Midgard-Serpent. 
Death  of  Baldur  the  Beautiful. 
The  Binding  of  the  Fenris  Wolf. 
Loki's  Punishment. 

(In  Baldwin,  Story  of  Siegfried;  Brown,  In  the 
Days  of  Giants;  Mabie,  Norse  Stories.) 

Siegfried. 

Forging  of  the  Sword  Balmung. 
Choosing  of  Grani  the  Horse. 
Slaying  of  Fafnir  the  Dragon. 
Awakening  of  Brynhild. 


282  Appendix 

Kriemhild's  Dream  and  Siegfried's  Wooing. 

Siegfried's  Death. 

(In    Baldwin,    Story    of  Siegfried;    McSpaddcn,  * 
Stories  from  Wagner ;  Morris,  Sigurd  the  Volsung. 

The  Faerie  ^ueene. 

Quest  of  the  Red  Cross  Knight. 
Una  and  the  Lion. 

The  Red  Cross  Knight  and  the  Dragon. 
Sir  Guyon's  Search  for  the  Bower  of  Earthly 
Bliss. 

Adventures  of  Britomart. 

Britomart  and  Amoret. 

Fair  Florimell. 

Adventures  of  Sir  Artegall. 

Quest  of  the  Blatant  Beast. 

(In  Macleod,  Stories  from  the  Faerie  Quccne; 
Royde-Smith,  Una  and  the  Red  Cross  Knight; 
Spenser,  Faerie  Queene.) 

Tales  from  Chaucer. 

Palamon  and  Arcite. 

Faithful  Constance. 

Patient  Griselda. 

The  Rocks  Removed. 

(In  Chaucer,  Canterbury  Tales;  Darton,  Tales  of 
the  Canterbury  Pilgrims;  McSpadden,  Stories  from 
Chaucer. ) 


Appendix  283 

King  Arthur  Legends, 
Coming  of  Arthur. 
The  Knights  of  the  Round  Table. 
Adventure  of  Gareth. 
Geraint  and  the  Fair  Enid. 
The  Dolorous  Stroke. 
Lancelot  and  Elaine. 
Quest  of  Sir  Percival. 
Sir  Galahad  and  the  Achievement  of  the  Holy 

Grail. 
Passing  of  Arthur. 

(In  Lanier,  Boy's  King  Arthur;  Pyle,  King  Arthur 
Series;  Stevens  and  Allen,  Stories  from  Malory's 
King  Arthur;  Tennyson,  Idylls  of  the  King.) 

Charlemagne  and  his  Paladins. 

Adventures  of  Ogier  the  Dane. 

The  Sons  of  Aymon. 

Malagis  the  Magician. 

A  Roland  for  an  Oliver. 

Reinold's  Journey  to  Cathay. 

Roland  in  the  Gardens  of  Falerina. 

Bradamant  the  Warrior  Maiden. 

Battle  of  Roncevalles. 

(In  Butler,  Song  of  Roland;  Baldwin,  Story  of 
Roland;  Church,  Stories  of  Charlemagne;  Marshall, 
Stories  of  Childe  Roland, ) 


HOW  TO  PROCURE  BOOKS 
THROUGH  THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

The  problem  of  procuring  books  is  simplified 
for  the  city  or  town  mother.  She  has  the  varied 
stock  of  the  shops  to  choose  from,  and 'she  may 
see  and  select  her  purchases.  In  case  her  commu- 
nity supports  a  children's  department  of  the  public 
library  she  may  draw  her  reading  from  there,  or  she 
may  consult  the  library  expert  in  children's  read- 
ing, who  will  gladly  make  suggestions  as  to  what 
are  the  best  books  for  children  on  any  given 
subject. 

The  progressive  modern  library  not  only  sup- 
ports a  well  organized  children's  department,  but 
it  publishes  carefully  selected  lists  of  best  books 
for  children,  and  special  lists  of  books  suitable  for 
Christmas  gifts ;  the  last  being  accompanied  by 
exhibits  of  the  books  themselves,  placed  in  the 
library  where  parents  may  examine  them  at  their 
leisure.  These  exhibits  are  of  great  value  to  parents 
and  teachers  and  keep  them  in  touch  with  the  best 
new  books  for  children  and  with  choice  editions 
and  fine  illustrators. 

The  mother  of  the  rural  community  who  has 
no  opportunity  to  examine  children's  books  may 


Appendix  285 

get  excellent  expert  advice  by  writing  to  her  state 
library  commission,  or  to  the  nearest  large  library 
employing  expert  help. 

Thirty-five  states  have  library  commissions. 
The  functions  of  these  institutions  are  to  encour- 
age the  establishment  of  libraries  in  those  com- 
munities which  are  able  to  support  them ;  to  help 
in  the  organization  and  development  of  new  li- 
braries ;  to  send  out  traveling  libraries,  especially 
to  rural  communities,  loaning  them  to  study-clubs, 
schools,  granges,  small  libraries,  and  to  groups  of 
persons  who  are  willing  to  be  responsible  for  the 
proper  housing  of  the  books  and  to  allow  their 
neighbors  to  use  them.  Some  of  the  commissions 
will,  on  request,  send  their  librarians  to  speak  on 
books  and  reading  or  library  matters,  before  town 
board  meetings,  teachers'  associations,  study-clubs, 
normal  classes  and  agricultural  meetings. 

Many  of  the  commissions  publish  helpful  lists 
of  books ;  make  out  free,  on  application,  study- 
club  programmes,  and  children's  book  lists  ;  loan 
books  to  individuals  who  are  out  of  reach  of 
a  library  centre ;  and  give  advice  on  children's 
books  and  reading,  as  well  as  on  ways  and  means 
of  establishing  new  libraries.  Some  of  the  com- 
missions publish  periodical  bulletins  giving  library 
news  of  their  states  and  lists  of  good  books  on 
many  topics.  The  present  writer  does  not  know 
how  many  states  publish  bulletins,  but  exceedingly 


286  Appendix 

useful  ones  are  issued  by  California,  Indiana,  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Vermont,  and  Wisconsin. 
These  are  distributed  free  to  libraries  or  may  be  had 
by  them  for  a  nominal  sum^  practically  covering 
postage.  Parents  wishing  to  keep  up  with  the  best 
of  new  books,  not  only  for  children  but  for  adults, 
will  find  most  useful  the  "  Book  List "  published  by 
the  American  Library  Association.  It  is  published 
monthly  (except  in  July  and  August)  and  lists  cur- 
rent books  recommended  by  experts  in  the  different 
fields  of  literature.  The  books  are  reviewed  with 
brief  but  most  useful  annotations.  This  periodical 
may  be  obtained  for  one  dollar  a  year  by  application 
to  the  Secretary  at  the  American  Library  Associa- 
tion Headquarters,  78  East  Washington  Street, 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

No  mother  need  hesitate  about  making  use  of 
the  opportunities  offered  by  the  library  commission 
of  her  state,  for  like  the  public  school  system  it  is 
supported  by  taxation.  The  appropriations,  how- 
ever, in  many  states  are  utterly  inadequate  to  carry 
on  such  an  important  and  widely-influential  educa- 
tional work.  Some  states  appropriate  fifteen  hun- 
dred dollars  a  year  to  carry  on  the  entire  work  — 
including  salaries,  maintenance  of  system  and  pur- 
chase of  books.  Other  states  vote  more  generous 
appropriations.  Any  woman's  club  or  individual 
interested  in  promoting  this  great  movement,  which 
carries  books  into  rural  districts  and  to  the  isolated 


Appendix  287 

farms,  will  find  most  interesting  and  valuable  read- 
ing in  the  "  League  of  Library  Commissions 
Handbook,"  compiled  by  C.  F.  Baldwin,  Secretary 
of  the  Minnesota  Public  Library  Commission, 
whose  address  is  given  below. 

The  data  given  here  are  tabulated  from  answers 
to  a  questionnaire  sent  out  to  thirty-five  states  hav- 
ing library  commissions  or  kindred  organizations. 
Thirty-one  states  responded,  one  of  which  ex- 
plained that  it  had  no  funds  with  which  to  carry 
on  the  work  reported  below.  The  data  given  here 
do  not  show  the  wide  extent  of  the  work  as  done 
by  the  different  commissions ;  they  merely  cover 
those  activities  of  immediate  interest  to  mothers 
and  to  study  clubs. 

ADDRESS   LIST   OF  STATE   LIBRARY 
COMMISSIONS 

California  State  Library. 

The  California  State  Library  is  active  in  promoting 
a  system  of  county  libraries  throughout  the  state. 
These  libraries  serve  their  communities  in  the  same 
way  as  do  the  commissions  of  other  states.  Individ- 
uals may  borrow  books  from  their  county  libraries, 
arrangements  being  made  with  the  county  librarians. 
Individuals  not  having  a  county  library  may  borrow 
books  from  the  State  Library.  Application  should  be 
made,  if  possible,  through  a  public  library  or  other 
educational  institution,  or  in  lieu  of  this  a  fee  of 
five  dollars  may  be  deposited  with  the  State  Library. 


288  Appendix 

This  fee  is  returned  to  the  reader  when  he  is  through 
with  the  books.  The  State  Library  also  loans  books 
to  study  clubs,  on  application  through  a  public 
library  or  on  a  request  signed  by  two  tax -payers  and 
the  judge  of  the  Superior  Court.  Borrowers  pay 
transportation  both  ways.  The  county  librarians  and 
the  State  Library  assistants  are  glad  to  answer  ques- 
tions on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  State  Librarian, 

Sacramento,  California. 

Colorado  Traveling  Library  Commission, 

This  commission  sends  books  to  individuals  and  to 
study  clubs.  Arrangements  for  these  may  be  made 
with  the  official  in  charge.  The  Colorado  Federation 
of  Women's  Clubs  originally  organized  the  commis- 
sion and  now  cooperates  with  it. 
Address:  Clerk  of  Traveling  Library  Commission, 

The  Capitol, 

Denver,  Colorado. 

Connecticut  Public  Library  Committee. 

Books  are  loaned  to  study  clubs  and  to  individuals. 
Borrowers  pay  transportation  one  way.  The  com- 
mission runs  a  book-wagon  in  five  towns,  having  no 
library  centres,  and  delivers  books  at  the  farms.  It 
also  publishes  lists  of  books  and  pictures  loaned  by 
the  Connecticut  Society  of  Colonial  Dames  of  Amer- 
ica. The  official  in  charge  gladly  answers  letters  ask- 
ing for  advice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address :  Library  Visitor  of  Public  Library  Com- 
mittee. 

State  House, 

Hanford,  Connecticut. 


Appendix  289 

Illinois  Library  Extension  Commission. 

The  work  of  this  commission  is  new.  At  present 
it  does  not  lend  books  to  individuals,  but  will  send 
boxes  of  books  to  study  clubs,  the  borrowers  paying 
transportation  both  ways.  The  official  in  charge  will 
gladly  answer  letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's 
books  and  reading. 

Address :  Organizer  of  Library   Extension  Com- 
mission, 

Decatur,  Illinois. 

Indiana  Public  Library  Commission. 

Individuals  may  borrow  books  from  this  commission 
by  applying  through  a  public  library,  and  paying 
transportation  both  ways.  It  also  lends  books  and  study 
club  outlines  to  study  clubs,  applying  through  a  pub- 
lic library  or  presenting  proper  credentials;  and  helps 
them  to  prepare  programmes,  making  a  specialty  of 
study  programmes  on  children's  literature.  It  sup- 
plies free  catalogues  of  children's  books,  and  lends 
to  public  libraries,  on  request,  sample  collections  of 
the  best  books  for  children,  suitable  for  holiday  gifts. 
Clubs  and  libraries  borrowing  books  pay  transporta- 
tion both  ways.  Questions  and  letters  in  regard  to 
children's  books  and  reading  are  gladly  answered  by 
the  librarians  of  the  commission. 
Address :   Secretary  of  Public  Library  Commission, 

104  State  House, 

Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

Iowa  Library  Commission. 

On  the  presentation  of  proper  credentials  this  com- 
mission lends  books  to  groups  of  ten  tax-payers, 
farmers'  clubs,  women's  study  clubs,  debating 
teams,  individual  readers,  and  blind  readers.  The 


290  Appendix 

borrowers  pay  transportation  both  ways.  The  com- 
mission publishes  free  lists  of  books  helpful  to  mo- 
thers, also  lists  of  pictures  loaned  by  the  institution; 
and  gladly  answers  letters  asking  for  advice  on  child- 
ren's books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Library  Commission, 

State  Historical  Building, 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Kansas  Traveling  Library  Commission. 

This  commission  rarely  lends  books  to  individuals, 
but  sends  them  to  study  clubs.  Arrangements  for 
borrowing  books  may  be  made  directly  with  the 
commission.  There  is  no  correspondence  bureau  to 
answer  queries  about  children's  books  and  read- 
ing. 

Address:  Secretary  of  Traveling  Library  Commis- 
sion, 

State  Library, 

Topeka,  Kansas. 

Kentucky  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  to  study  clubs,  and  to  farmers  and 
other  individual  readers.  Borrowers  pay  transporta- 
tion both  ways.  The  commission  librarian  is  glad  to 
answer  letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's  books 
and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Library  Commission, 

The  Capitol, 

Frankfort,  Kentucky. 

Maine  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  to  an  individual  or  a  study  club 
presenting  an  application  signed  by  four  responsible 
persons.   Borrowers  pay  transportation  both  ways. 


Appendix  0,91 

The  commission  is  always  glad  to  answer  letters 
asking  advice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  State  Librarian, 

Augusta,  Maine. 

Maryland^  Washington  County  Free  Library. 

This  library  serves  both  adults  and  children  of  the 
county  through  the  admirable  equipment  in  its  build- 
ing at  Hagerstown,  through  a  system  of  deposit  sta- 
tions, and  by  means  of  automobile  service,  which 
delivers  books  at  the  doors  of  farms,  Maryland  has 
a  state  library  commission  with  headquarters  at  the 
Enoch  Pratt  Free  Library,  Baltimore,  which  servei 
adults  but  does  very  little  for  children. 
Address  :  Librarian  of  Washington  County  Free 
Library, 

Hagerstown,  Maryland. 

Massachusetts  Free  Public  Library  Commission. 

Massachusetts  was  the  first  state  to  establish  a  state 
library  commission.  It  renders  aid  to  the  libraries 
throughout  the  state,  but  does  not  loan  books  to  in- 
dividuals or  study  clubs.  It  publishes  free  lists  of 
books  helpful  to  mothers,  and  is  always  glad  to  an- 
swer letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's  books 
and  reading. 
Address:  Agent  of  Free  Public  Library  Commission, 

State  House, 

Boston,  Massachusetts. 

Michigan  State  Board  of  Library  Commissioners. 

The  work  of  this  board  is  carried  on  through  the 
State  Library.  By  application  through  a  public  li- 
brary individuals  may  borrow  books.  Borrowers  pay 
transportation  both  ways.   Books  are  loaned  to  study 


29^  Appendix 

clubs  and  boy-scout  camps.  The  commission  also 
lends  pictures  and  sample  collections  of  books  suit- 
able for  holiday  gifts  for  children,  to  libraries  and 
schools,  and  is  glad  to  answer  letters  asking  for  ad- 
vice on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  State  Board  of  Library  Com« 
missioners. 

State  Library, 

Lansing,  Michigan. 

Minnesota  Public  Library  Commission. 

Individuals  may  borrow  books  on  the  guarantee  of 
a  school  superintendent  or  officer,  or  on  the  pre- 
sentation of  other  satisfactory  credentials.  Study 
clubs  are  supplied  with  books.  Borrowers  pay  trans- 
portation both  ways.  Sample  libraries  of  books  suit- 
able for  holiday  gifts  for  children  are  loaned  to  libra- 
ries and  study  clubs,  and  a  catalogue,  "  Children's 
Books  for  Christmas  Gifts,"  is  sent  free  on  applica- 
tion. The  commission  makes  a  specialty  of  books  for 
children  and  is  glad  to  answer  letters  asking  for  ad- 
vice on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Public  Library  Commission, 

The  Capitol, 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota. 

Missouri  Library  Commission. 

This  commission  lends  books  to  teachers,  and  occa- 
sionally to  other  individuals,  on  the  presentation  of 
satisfactory  credentials.  Borrowers  pay  transportation 
both  ways.  The  commission  publishes  lists  of  use  to 
mothers,  and  is  glad  to  answer  letters  asking  for  ad« 
vice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Library  Commission, 

Capitol  Annex, 

Jefferson  City,  Missouri. 


Appendix  293 

Nebraska  Public  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  freely  to  individuals  and  to  study 
clubs.  Borrowers  pay  transportation  both  ways.  The 
commission  is  always  glad  to  answer  any  letters  and 
to  make  suggestions  about  children's  books  and  read- 
ing, and  to  lend  copies  of  good  catalogues  of  child- 
ren's books. 
Address;  Secretary  of  Public  Library  Commission, 

The  Capitol, 

Lincoln,  Nebraska. 

New  Hampshire  State  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  to  individuals  presenting  satisfactory 
credentials,  also  to  study  clubs.  Borrowers  pay 
transportation  both  ways.  Letters  asking  advice  on 
children's  books  and  reading  are  gladly  answered  by 
the  commission. 

Address:  Secretary  of  State  Library  Commission, 
State  Library, 
Concord,  New  Hampshire. 

New  Jersey  Public  Library  Commission. 

Individuals  may  borrow  books  by  signing  receipt  for 
same,  and  by  paying  transportation  one  way.  Books 
are  loaned  to  study  clubs  on  the  payment  of  a  fee  of 
two  dollars  a  year.  Lists  helpful  to  mothers  are  fur- 
nished free,  and  the  commission  answers  letters  ask- 
ing for  advice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Organizer  of  Public  Library  Commission, 

State  Library, 

Trenton,  New  Jersey. 

New  York  State  Library. 

New  York  was  the  first  state  to  establish  traveling 
libraries.   Through  its  State  Library,  by  means  of 


294  Appendix 

the  Home  Education  Division,  it  carries  on  a  wide- 
spread system.  Individuals  having  no  easy  access  to 
a  public  library  may  borrow  ten  books  for  the  fee  of 
one  dollar.  The  Library  gives  preference  to  the 
rural  home.  Study  clubs  may  borrow  twenty-five 
volumes  for  the  fee  of  two  dollars,  and  one  dollar 
for  each  additional  twenty-five  volumes,  when  sent 
in  the  same  shipment.  A  specialty  is  made  of  books 
for  children,  and  lists  of  good  juvenile  books  are  sup- 
plied free.  The  State  Library  assistants  are  glad  to 
answer  letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's  books 
and  reading,  and  also  to  render  assistance  in  select- 
ing and  making  programmes  for  study  clubs. 
Address:  State  Librarian, 

State  Library, 

Albany,  New  York. 

North  Carolina  Library  Commission. 

This  commission  loans  books  to  study  clubs  on  re- 
ceiving a  signed  agreement  to  return  books  promptly 
and  to  pay  transportation  both  ways,  and  occasion- 
ally lends  books  to  individuals.  It  supplies  lists  help- 
ful to  mothers  and  is  always  glad  to  answer  letters 
asking  for  advice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Library  Commission, 

State  House, 

Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

North  Dakota  Public  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  to  individuals  and  to  study  clubs, 
borrowers  paying  transportation  both   ways.    The 
commission  is  glad  to  answer  letters  asking  for  ad- 
vice on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Public  Library  Commission, 

The  Capitol, 

Bismarck,  North  Dakota. 


Appendix  295 

Ohio  Board  of  Library  Commissioners, 

Individual*  and  study  clubs  may  borrow  books  by 
making  arrangements  with  the  commission.  Bor- 
rowers pay  transportation  both  ways.  Sample  libra- 
ries of  books  suitable  for  holiday  gifts  for  children  are 
loaned,  transportation  being  paid  by  the  borrower. 
Lists  of  books  helpful  to  mothers  are  fiirnished  free, 
and  letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's  books  and 
reading  are  gladly  answered. 
Address:  Library  Organizer  of  Ohio, 

State  Library, 

Columbus,  Ohio. 

Oregon  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  to  individuals  who  apply  through 
a  public  library,  school,  or  other  permanent  organ- 
ization. Books  are  also  loaned  to  study  clubs.  Bor- 
rowers pay  transportation  both  ways.  The  commis- 
sion lends  pictures,  and  dialogues  and  plays,  and 
issues  free  lists  of  books  suitable  for  holiday  gifts  for 
children,  and  sends  to  any  school,  on  request,  a 
sample  collection  of  books  for  children.  It  also  gladly 
answers  letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's  books 
and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Library  Commission, 

State  House, 

Salem,  Oregon. 

Pennsylvania  Free  Library  Commission. 

Loans  books  to  individuals  and  study  clubs.  Arrange- 
ments must  be  made  with  the  commission.  Letters 
asking  for  advice  on  children's  books  and  reading  are 
answered. 


296  Appendix 

Address:  Secretary  of  Free  Library  Commission, 
State  Library, 
Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania. 

Rhode  Island  Department  of  Education  —  State  Com' 
mittee  on  Libraries. 

Books  are  loaned  to  teachers  studying  for  examin- 
ations, and  to  study  clubs.  Arrangements  for  these 
must  be  made  with  the  librarian  in  charge,  who  is 
glad  to  answer  letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's 
books  and  reading. 
Address:  Library  Visitor, 

455  Cranston  Street, 

Providence,  Rhode  Island. 

Tennessee  Free  Library  Commission. 

Books  on  home  economics  are  loaned  to  individuals 
who  apply  through  a  library,  or  present  an  applica- 
tion signed  by  a  school  officer  of  the  district.  Books 
are  loaned  to  study  clubs  on  an  application  signed  by 
officers  of  the  club.  Borrowers  pay  transportation 
both  ways.  Lists  of  books  helpful  to  mothers  are  sup- 
plied free,  and  a  sample  library  of  books  suitable  for 
holiday  gifts  for  children  is  loaned,  on  request. 
Letters  asking  for  advice  on  children's  books  and 
reading  are  answered  gladly. 
Address:  General  Secretary  of  Free  Library  Com- 
mission, 

Carnegie  Library, 
Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Texas  Library  and  Historical  Commission. 

The  work  of  this  commission  is  carried  on  through 
the  State  Library.  Books  not  rare  or  likely  to  be 
immediately  needed  in  the  library  arc  loaned  to  in' 


Appendix  297 

dividuals  properly  vouched  for.  Books  are  loaned  to 
study  clubs  on  the  same  arrangements.  Borrowers 
pay  transportation  both  ways.  A  collection  of  lists 
compiled  by  other  libraries  and  commissions  is  loaned 
on  request. 

Address:  State  Librarian, 
Austin,  Texas. 

Vermont  Board  of  Library  Commissioners. 

Books  are  loaned  to  study  clubs  and  occasionally  to 
individuals.  Borrowers  pay  transportation  both  ways. 
This  commission  makes  a  specialty  of  school  libra- 
ries for  rural  districts,  and  is  glad  to  answer  letters 
asking  for  advice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Board  of  Library  Commis- 
sioners, 

State  House, 
Montpelier,  Vermont. 

Virginia  State  Library. 

This  library  does  the  work  of  a  library  commission. 
It  loans  books  to  individuals  and  to  study  clubs  pre- 
senting proper  credentials.  Borrowers  pay  transport- 
ation both  ways.  It  also  answers  letters  asking  for 
advice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  State  Librarian, 

Richmond,  Virginia. 

Washington  State  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  to  individuals  and  to  study  clubs. 
Arrangements  must  be  made  with  the  commission, 
which  institution  is  always  ready  to  answer  letters 
asking  for  advice  on  children's  books  and  reading. 
Address:  Secretary  of  State  Library  Commission, 

State  Library, 

Olympia,  Washington. 


298  Appendix 

IVisconsin  Fret  Library  Commission. 

Books  are  loaned  to  study  clubs.  Special  arrange- 
ments arc  made  for  small  rural  communities,  out  of 
reach  of  any  library  centre,  whereby  four  collections 
of  thirteen  books  each  are  placed  in  four  families 
living  in  the  same  district  but  not  near  to  each  other. 
These  collections  are  loaned  with  the  understanding 
that  neighboring  families  may  use  them.  When  the 
books  are  read  through  the  collections  are  exchanged 
from  one  family  to  another;  this  is  repeated  until 
each  family,  and  its  neighbors,  have  had  the  entire 
fifty-two  volumes.  Arrangements  for  these  rural 
traveling  libraries  must  be  made  through  the  nea'-est 
local  library.  Where  foreign  books  are  needed  the 
commission  furnishes  German,  Norwegian,  Swedish, 
Bohemian,  Danish,  Polish  and  Yiddish  books.  Bor- 
rowers pay  transportation  both  ways.  The  commi«- 
sion  makes  and  furnishes  free,  on  request,  lists  of 
books  for  mothers,  and  answers  letters  asking  advice 
on  children's  books  and  reading,  and  sends  to  libra- 
ries, on  request,  sample  collections  of  books  suitable 
for  holiday  gifts  for  children. 
Address:  Secretary  of  Free  Library  Commission, 

The  Capitol, 

Madison,  Wisconiin. 


HOW  TO  PROCURE   CHILDREN'S 
BOOKS   BY   PURCHASE 

This  problem,  as  we  have  seen,  is  an  extremely 
simple  one  for  the  city  mother  who  may  consult 
the  public  library  expert  in  children's  literature  and 
examine  the  varied  stock  of  the  bookshops.  But 
the  mother  who  lives  at  a  distance  from  book- 
shops must  often  make  her  purchases  by  mail. 
She  should,  as  far  as  possible,  buy  through  the 
nearest  bookseller;  in  this  way  she  will  gain  the 
benefit  of  lower  prices  on  some  books  than  are  listed 
in  the  publishers'  catalogues.  She  may  also  order 
through  one  of  the  large  bookdealers  who  are 
agents  for  all  publishers,  and  who  carry  on  mail- 
order departments.  Some  dealers  make  a  specialty 
of  second-hand  and  bargain  books.  These  latter 
books  are  the  odds  and  ends  of  stock,  "  remain- 
ders "  as  they  are  called,  bought  new  from  the  pub- 
lishers and  sold  by  the  dealers  for  prices  lower  than 
those  listed  in  the  catalogues. 

Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  having  a  list  of  the 
booksellers  throughout  the  country,  if  applied  to 
will  gladly  give  the  necessary  information  to  assist 
the  out-of-town  buyer  in  more  readily  obtaining 
the  books  desired. 

Catalogues  giving   prices  and  descriptions  of 


300  Appendix 

books  may  be  had  free  on  application  to  the  pub- 
lishers. 

A  beautiful  book  gives  more  pleasure,  and  more 
surely  whets  the  reader's  appetite  than  does  the 
same  reading  matter  bound  in  gloomy  covers  and 
printed  in  small  type.  Therefore  many  fine  editions 
are  quoted  here.  As  these  are  costly,  some  durable 
and  cheaper  editions  are  listed  also.  Among  these 
latter  are  the  "  Everyman's  Library  Series,"  which 
comes  in  three  forms:  cloth-bound  volumes  at  .35 
each;  cloth-bound,  with  specially  strong  binding, 
at  .50  each ;  and  with  red  leather  covers  at  .70 
each.  Only  the  leather-bound  volumes  of  this  series 
are  listed  here,  but  the  same  works  and  many  other 
classics  may  be  bought  in  the  cheaper  editions  of 
"Everyman's."  The  "Riverside  Literature  Series" 
is  printed  in  clear  type,  on  good  paper,  and  bound 
strongly  in  linen.  This  series  offers  much  fine  lit- 
erature in  durable  and  appropriate  form  at  a  com- 
paratively cheap  price  —  usually  25  cents  a  volume. 
**  The  Modern  Classics  "  are  very  attractive,  in- 
expensive pocket-size  volumes.  They  include,  for 
the  most  part,  whole  poems,  essays,  sketches,  and 
stories.  Almost  all  the  volumes  are  illustrated  and 
each  is  bound  in  crimson  cloth.  "The  Heath 
Home  and  School  Classics"  are  for  younger  child- 
ren and  are  illustrated,  printed  in  good  type,  and 
bound  in  cloth.  "  The  Ariel  Booklets"  are  attract- 
ive small  red-leather  gift-books.     Publications  of 


Appendix  301 

the  American  Book  Company  and  of  Ginn  and 
Company  are  durably  bound,  but  as  a  rule  have 
text-book  covers. 

The  works  of  Scott,  Dickens,  Thackeray,  and 
other  novelists,  poets,  and  story-writers  for  child- 
ren come  in  exceedingly  cheap  form.  Catalogues 
of  these  publications  maybe  procured  from  the  pub- 
lishers on  application.  Parents  should,  realize,  how- 
ever, that  exceedingly  cheap  books  are,  as  a  rule, 
unattractive  in  printing,  binding,  and  illustrations, 
and  that  they  are  not  durable.  For  these  reasons  as 
few  as  possible  of  these  cheaper  publications  are 
listed  here. 


PURCHASE  LIST  OF  CHILDREN'S 
BOOKS 

FOR   CHILDREN   AND   YOUNG  PEOPLE 

FROM   ONE   TO   SIXTEEN   YEARS 

OF  AGE 

Figures  inclosed  in  parentheses^  follotoing  titles,  refer  to 
the  pages  in  this  'volume  luhere  may  be  found  notices  of  the 
books.  A  fnx)  of  the  books  listed  are  out  of  print  and  may 
be  procured  through  second-hand  dealers.  These  books  are 
marked  o.  p. 

Aanrud.  Lisbeth  Longfrock  (p.  189).  Ginn,  .40. 
Abbott.   Madame  Roland  (p.  213).  Harper,  .50. 
Abbott.  Marie  Antoinette  (p.  213).   Harper,  .50. 
Abbott.   Peter  the  Great  (p.  216).  Harper,  .50. 
Adams,  Andy.  Wells  Brothers  (p.  IQS).  Houghton,  $1.20. 
Adams,  J.  H.   Harper's  Electricity  Book  for  Boys  (p.  236). 

Harper,  $1.75. 
Adams,  J.  H.   Harper's  Machinery  Book  for  Boys  (p.  237). 

Harper,  $1.75. 
Adams,  J.  H.,  and  others.  Harper's  Outdoor  Book  for  Boy« 

(p.  238).  Harper,  ^1.75. 
Addison  and  Steele.  Sir  Roger  de  Coverley  Papers  (p.  165). 

Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Adelborg,  Clean  Peter  (p.  54).  Longmans,  $1.25. 
iEsop.    Fables,  edited  by  Joseph  Jacobs  (p.  89).   Cranford 

Edition,  Macmillan,  $1.50. 
Alcott.    Stories  (p.   156).  Little,  $1.50   each,  except   Old- 

Fashioned  Thanksgiving.  Little,  ^i.oo. 
Alden,  R.  M.  Why  the  Chimes  Rang  (p.  98).  Bobbs,  ^1.25. 
Alden,  W.  L.   New  Robinson  Crusoe  (p.  196).   Harper,  .60. 
Aldrich.    Baby  Bell,  and  Other  Verse  and  Prose  (p.  140). 

Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  paper,  .15. 
Aldrich.    Stor^  of  a  Bad  Boy  (p.  158).    Houghton,  $1.2$; 

Holiday  Edition,  illustrated  by  Frost,  Houghton,  $2.00. 


Appendix  303 

Alexander.  Sunday  Book  of  Poetry  (p.  270).  Golden  Treas- 
ury Series,  Macmillan,  $1.00. 
Ambrosi.  When  I  was  a  Girl  in  Italy  (p.  215).  Lothrop,  .75. 
Amicis.  Cuore  (p.  154).  Crowell,  .75.  Same  book  published 

under  title  "Heart,"  Crowell,  .50. 
Andersen.   Fairy  Tales  (p.  94).   Illustrated  by  Pedersen  and 

Stone,  2  volumes,  Houghton,  ^i.cxj  each. 
Same.  Translated  by  Mrs.  Lucas,  illustrated  by  T.  C.  and 

W.  Robinson,  Dutton,  $2.50. 
Same.  Illustrated  in  color  by  Helen  Stratton,  Dodge,  $1.50. 
Same.  Illustrated  by  Tegner,  Centenary  Edition,  Century, 

$5.00. 
Andrews.  Seven  Little  Sisters  (p.  220).  Ginn,  .50. 
Andrews.  Stories  Mother  Nature  Told  (p.  250).  Ginn,  .50. 
Andrews.  Ten  Boys  (p.  220).  Ginn,  .50. 
Animal  Stories  Retold  from  St.  Nicholas  (p.  251).  6  volumes. 

Century,  .65  each. 
Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments  (p.  87).   Edited  by  Dixon, 

illustrated  by  Batten,  Putnam,  $2.50. 
Same.   Edited  by  Wiggin  and  Smith,  illustrated  by  Max- 
field  Parrish,  Scribner,  $2,50. 
Same.   Edited  by  E.  E.  Hale,  Ginn,  .45. 
Arnold.  Sohrab  and  Rustum  (p.  123),  Riverside  Literature 

Series,  Houghton,  .25. 
Asbjornsen.  Fairy  Tales  from  the  Far  North  (p.  91).  Burt,  .62. 
Aspinwall.   Short  Stories  for  Short  People  (p.  97),  Dutton, 

$1.50. 
Aulnoy.   Fairy  Tales  (p.  95).   McKay,  $1.25. 
Austen.    Novels  (p.   163).    Illustrated  in  color  by  C.  E. 

Brock,  Dutton,  $2.00  each. 
Same.   Everyman's  Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70  each. 
Austin.  Basket  Woman  (p.  87).  Houghton,  $1.50. 
Aytoun.   Lays  of  the  Scottish  Cavaliers  (p.  141).  Scribner, 

$1.40. 
Same.  Bound  together  with  Macaulay's  "  Lays  of  Ancient 

Rome,"  Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 

Baby's  Book  of  Trains  and  Ships  (p.  52).  Dutton,  $1.50. 

Bacon.  Songs  Every  Child  Should  Know  (p.  144).  Double- 
day,  .90. 

Baker.,  E.  A.  Youngsters  of  Centerville  (p.  196).  Holt, 
$1.50. 

Baker,  R.  S.  Boys'  Book  of  Inventions  (p.  242).  Doubleday, 
^2.00. 


304  Appendix 

Baker,  R.  S.  Boys'  Second  Book  of  Inventions  (p.  242). 

Doubleday,  $1.60. 
Baldwin.  American  Book  of  Golden  Deeds  (p.  221).  Ameii* 

can  Book  Company,  .50. 
Baldwin.    Fifty  Famous  Stories  Retold  (p.  64).   American 

Book  Company,  .35. 
Baldwin.  Story  of  Roland  (p.  126).  Illustrated  by  Reginald 

Birch,  Scribner,  $1.50. 
Baldwin.  Story  of  Siegfried  (p.  122).  Illustrated  by  Howard 

Pyle,  Scribner,  $1.50. 
Baldwin.   Story  of  the  Golden  Age  (p.  127).   Illustrated  by 

Howard  Pyle,  Scribner,  $1.50. 
Baldwin.    Thirty  More  Famous  Stories  Retold  (p.  221). 

American  Book  Company,  .50. 
Baldwin.  Wonder-Book  of  Horses  (p.  93).  Century,  .75, 
Ball.  Star-Land  (p.  244).  Ginn,  ^i.oo. 
Ballantyne.    Coral  Island  (p.  187).    Everyman's  Library, 

Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Banner.  Household  Sewing  (p.  235).  Longmans,  .90. 
Bannerman.  Little  Black  Sambo  (p.  65).  Stokes,  .50. 
Barbour.  Half-Back  (p.  194).  Appleton,  $1.50. 
Barbour.  Weatherby's  Innings  (p.  194).  Appleton,  $1.50. 
Barr.  Michael  and  Theodora  (p.  193).  o.  p. 
Barr.  Trinity  Bells  (p.  193).   Dodd,  $1.50. 
Bartlett.  Forest  Castaways  (p.  194).   Century,  ^i.jo. 
Baskett.  Story  of  the  Fishes  (p.  247).  Home-Reading  Books, 

Appleton,  .75. 
Bass.  Lessons  for  Beginners  in  Reading  (p.  63).  Heath,  .25. 
Bassett.  Story  of  Lumber  (p.  248).  Penn,  .75. 
Bates.  Ballad  Book  (p.  119).  Sibley,  .50. 
Bayliss.  In  Brook  and  Bayou  (p.  249).  Appleton,  .60. 
Baylor.  Juan  and  Juanita  (p.  188).  Houghton,  $1.50. 
Bealby.    Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Canada   (p.  211).  Mac- 

millan,  .55. 
Beard,  D.  C.  American  Boys'  Handy  Book  (p.  236).  Scrib- 
ner, ^2.00. 
Beard,  D.  C.  Boat-Building  and  Boaring  (p.  237).  Scribner, 

$1.00. 
Beard,  D.  C.  Field  and  Forest  Handy  Book  (p.  237).  Scrit>> 

ner,  $2.00. 
Beard,  L.  and  A.  B.    American  Girl's  Handy  Book  (p.  235). 

Scribner,  $2.00. 
Beard,  L.  and  A.  B.  Little  Folks'  Handy  Book  (p.  234). 
Scribner,  .75. 


Appendix  305 

Bellamy.  Century  of  Charades  (p.  239).  Houghton,  ^1,00. 
Bennett.  Master  Skylark  (p.  189).  Century,  $1.50. 
Benton.  SeeBurrell. 
Beowulf.  Translated  by  Child  (p.  121).  Riverside  Literature 

Series,  Houghton,  .25. 
Bertelli.   Prince  and  his  Ants  (p.  97).   Holt,  $1.35. 
Bible  (p.  268).    Old  and  New  Testament  bound  together. 
Number  01500,  Oxford,  $I.I0. 
Same.  Number  01603X,  Oxford,  India  paper,  $5.00. 
Same.  Number  1 14,  American  Bible  Society,  leather,  .85. 
Same.   Number  208,  American  Bible  Society,  .23. 
Bible.    New  Testament ;  (p.   268).  Number  0288x,  Oxford, 
leather,  India  paper,  $5.00. 
Same.  Number  0262,  Oxford,  leather,  $1.45. 
Same.  Number  0255,  Oxford,  .50. 
Same.   Number  300,  American  Bible  Society,  .15. 
Bible,  Proverbs  (p.  268).  Number  452,  Pocket  Edition,  Ameri- 
can Bible  Society,  leather,  .35. 
Same.   Number  454,  American  Bible  Society,  .06. 
Bible,  Psalms  (p.  268).    Number  08,  Oxford,  leather,  .80. 

Same.  Number  436,  American  Bible  Society,  .10. 
Bigham.  Mother  Goose  Village  (p.  65).  Rand,  .75. 
Blackmore.    Lorna  Doone  (p.  162).    Luxembourg  Edition^ 

Crowell,  $1.50. 
Blaisdell.   Child  Life  (p.  62).   Macmillan,  Primer,  .25;  First 

Reader,  .25;  Second  Reader,  .31;;  Third  Reader,  .36. 
Blake.   Songs  of  Innocence  (p.  138).  Mosher,  Japan  vellum 
covers,  ^  1. 00. 
Same.  Flowers  of  Parnassus  Series,  Lane,  leather,  .75. 
Bolton.     Lives   of  Girls   Who   Became   Famous   (p.   220), 

Crowell,  ^1.50. 
Bolton.  Lives  of  Poor  Boys  Who  Became  Famous  (p.  220). 

Crowell,  ^1.50. 
Bonn.    Der  Alte  Bekannte  (p.  54).    Illustrated  by  Oscar 

Pletsch,  Brentano's,  .65. 
Bonn.     Hausmiitterchen    (p.    54).     Illustrated    by    Oscar 

Pletsch,  Brentano's,  .75. 
Bonn.  Was  Willst  Du  Werden  (p.  54).  Illustrated  by  Oscar 

Pletsch,  Brentano's,  $1.15. 
Bostock.  Training  of  Wild  Animals  (p.  243).  Century,  ^i.oo. 
Boutet  de  Monvel.   Joan  of  Arc  (p.  53).   Illustrated  by  au- 
thor.    French   text,   Brentano's,   {$2.3 5;   English   text. 
Century,  $3.50. 
Bouvet.  Sweet  William  (p.  194).  McClurg,  $1.25. 


3o6 


Appendix 


Boyesen.  Against  Heavy  Odds  (p.  i86).  Scribner,  }5i.25. 

Boyesen.  Boyhood  in  Norway  (p.  i86).  Scribner,  ^1.25. 

Boyesen.  Modern  Vikings  (p.  186).  Scribner,  $1.25. 

Boyesen.   Norseland  Tales  (p.  186).   Scribner,  ^1.25. 

Boy  Scouts  of  America.  Official  Handbook  (p.  238).  Double- 
day,  .50. 

Breck.  Wilderness  Pets  at  Camp  Buckshaw  (p.  244).  Hough- 
ton, $1.50. 

Brewster.  Swimming  (p.  238).  Houghton,  ^i.cx>. 

Brigham.   Box  Furniture  (p.  236).   Century,  $1.60. 

Bronte.  Jane  Eyre  (p.  161).  Colored  illustrations  by  Ed- 
mund Dulac,  Dutton,  ^i.oo. 

Brooke.  Golden  Goose  Book  (p.  64).  Illustrated  by  L.  Leslie 
Brooke,  Wame,  $2.00;  bound  in  four  separate  volumes, 
.50  each. 

Brooke.  House  in  the  Wood  (p.  65).  Illustrated  by  L.  Leslie 
Brooke,  Wame,  $1.35. 

Brooke.  Johnny  Crow's  Garden  (p.  56).  Illustrated  by  L. 
Leslie  Brooke,  Warne,  $1.00. 

Brooke.  Johnny  Crow's  Party  (p.  57).  Illustrated  by  L. 
Leslie  Brooke,  Warne,  $1.00. 

Brooks,  E.  S.  Boy  of  the  First  Empire  (p.  187).  Century,  ^(1.50. 

Brooks,  E.  S.   Historic  Boys  (p.  220).   Putnam,  ^1.25. 

Brooks,  E.  S.   Historic  Girls  (p.  220).   Putnam,  ^1-25. 

Brooks,  E.  S.  Master  of  the  Strong  Hearts  (p.  193).  Dutton, 
$1.50. 

Brooks,  E.  S.  Swordmaker's  Son  (p.  271).  Century,  ^1.50. 

Brooks,  E.  S.  True  Story  of  Abraham  Lincoln  (p.  217). 
Lothrop,^i.SO. 

Brooks,  E.  S.  True  Story  of  Christopher  Columbus  (p.  218). 
Lothrop,  $1.50. 

Brooks,  E.  S.  True  Story  of  George  Washington  (p.  217). 
Lothrop,  $1.50. 

Brooks,  E.  S.  True  Story  of  U.  S.  Grant.  Lothrop,  ^1.50. 

Brooks,  Noah.   Boy  Emigrants  (p.  187).  Scribner,  $1.25. 

Brooks,  Noah.   Boy  Settlers  (p.  187).   Scribner,  $1.25. 

Brooks,  Noah.  Story  of  Marco  Polo  (p.  220).  Century,  $1.50. 

Brown,  A.  F.  Book  of  Saints  and  Friendly  Beasts  (p.  92). 
Houghton,  $1.25. 

Brown,  A.  F.  Brothers  and  Sisters  (p.  185).  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Brown,  A.  F.  Christmas  Angel  (p.  185).  Houghton,  .60. 

Brown,  A.  F.  Curious  Book  of  Birds  (p.  93).  Illustrated  by 
E.  Boyd  Smith,  Houghton,  ^i.io. 

Brown,  A.  F.  Friends  and  Cousins  (p.  185).  Houghton,  ^i.oo. 


Appendix  307 

Brown,  A.  F.  In  the  Days  of  Giants  (p.  91).  Houghton,  $1.00. 
Brown,  A.  F.  Pocketful  of  Posies  (p.  138).  Houghton,  $1.00. 
Brown,  A.  F.   Star  Jewels  (p.  97).   Houghton,  $1.00. 
Brown,  H.  D.  Her  Sixteenth  Year  (p.  186).  Houghton,  $1.00. 
Brown,  H.  D.  Little  Miss  Phoebe  Gay  (p.  186).   Houghton, 

^i.oo. 
Brown,  H.  D.  Two  College  Girls  (p.  190).  Houghton,  $1.25. 
Brown,  Dr.  John.    Rab  and  his  Friends  (p.  165).    Modern 

Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 
Browne.    Granny's  Wonderful  Chair  (p.  95).    Everyman's 

Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Browning.    Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin  (p.  55),    Illustrated  by 

Kate  Greenaway,  Warne,  $1.50. 
Same.   Illustrated  by  Hope  Dunlap,  Rand,  $1.25. 
Bryant,  S.  C.    How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children  (p.  241). 

Houghton,  $1.00. 
Bryant,  W.  C.    Thanatopsis,  and  Other  Poems   (p.   142). 

Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .25. 
Bulwer-Lytton.    Last  Days  of  Pompeii  (p.  161).    Luxem- 
bourg Edition,  Crowell,  ^1.50. 
Bulwer-Lytton.    Last  of  the  Barons  (p.  161).    Everyman's 

Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Bulwer-Lytton.     Rienzi    (p.    161).     Luxembourg    Edition, 

Crowell,  ^1.50. 
Bunyan.   Pilgrim's  Progress  (p.  271).   Illustrated  by  Byam 

Shaw,  Scribner,  $2.50. 
Same.  Illustrated  by  the  Brothers  Rhead,  Century,  $1.50. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Burgess.  Goops  and  How  to  be  Them  (p.  56).  Stokes,  $1.50. 
Burnett.   Editha's  Burglar  (p.  193).   Estes,  .50. 
Burnett.    Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (p.  193).    Illustrated  by 

Reginald  Birch,  Scribner,  ^1.25. 
Burnett.   Sara  Crewe  (p.  189).   Scribner,  $1.25. 
Burney.    Evelina  (p.  160).    Illustrated  by  Hugh  Thomson, 

Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  $2.00. 
Same.    Everyman's  Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Burns.    Poems  and  Songs  (p.  142).    Everyman's  Library, 

Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Same.    Bound  together  with  Favorite  Poems  by  Scott, 

Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 
Burrell.   Little  Cookbook  for  a  Little  Girl.   Estes,  .75. 
Burrell.   Saturday  Mornings.   Estes,  .75. 
Burroughs,  John.    Bird  Stories  from  Burroughs  (p.  245). 

Houghton,  .80. 


3o8 


Appendix 


Burroughs,  John.  Locusts  and  Wild  Honey  (p.  250).  Hough- 
ton, ^1.25. 

Burroughs,  John.  Squirrels  and  other  Fur-Bearers  (p.  243). 
With  fifteen  colored  illustrations  after  Audubon, 
Houghton,^  1. 00. 

Burroughs,  John.  Wake-Robin  (p.  250).  Houghton,  $1.25. 

Burroughs,  John.  Year  in  the  Fields  (p.  250).  Houghton,  $1.50. 

Burroughs,  W.  D.  Wonderland  of  Stamps  (p.  237).  Stokes, 
$1.50. 

Burton.  Bob's  Hill  Series  (p.  196).  3  volumes.  Holt,  first 
volume,  $1.25;  second  and  third  volumes,  ^1.50  each. 

Butler.  Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin  (p.  215).   Page,  .60. 

Byron.     Childe  Harold.    Crowell,  leather,  .75. 

Byron.  Selected  Poems  (p.  142).   Crowell,  .75. 

Caldecott.  Picture  Books  (p.  56).  Illustrated  by  Randolph 
Caldecott,  4  volumes,  Warne,  $1.25  each.  Same  in  paper 
covers,  16  parts,  Warne,  .25  each. 

Cambridge  Historical  Readers  (p.  211).  5  volumes,  Cam- 
bridge University  Press,  Introductory  Reader  and 
Primary  Book,  .40  each;  Junior  and  Intermediate,  .60 
each;  Senior,  .75. 

Camp.  Book  of  Foot-Ball  (p.  237).  Century,  $2.00. 

Campbell.  Pleasures  of  Hope,  and  Selected  Poems  (p.  143). 
Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 

Canavan.  Ben  Comee  (p.  187).  Macmillan,  ^1.50. 

Canfield,  Dorothy,  and  others.  What  Shall  We  do  Now  (p. 
240).  Stokes,  $1.50. 

Canfield,  H.  S.  Boys  of  the  Rincon  Ranch  (p.  192).  Cen- 
tury, $1.00. 

Canton.  Child's  Book  of  Saints  (p.  270).  Everyman's 
Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .yo. 

Carleton.  Dorothy  the  Motor-Girl  (p.  102).  Century,  ^1.50. 

Carlyle.    Heroes   and  Hero-Worship   (p.    165).    Riverside 
Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .50. 
Same.  Temple  Classics,  Dutton,  leather,  .6$. 

Carpenter.  Hellenic  Tales  (p.  90.)  Little,  $1.50;  school 
edition,  .60. 

Carroll.  Alice's  Adventures  in  Wonderland  (p.  93).  Illus- 
trated by  Sir  John  Tenniel,  Macmillan,  $1.00. 

Carroll.  Through  the  Looking-Glass  (p.  93).  Illustrated  by 
Sir  John  Tenniel,  Macmillan,  $1.00. 

Carryl.  Davy  and  the  Goblin  (p.  94).  Illustrated  by  Bensell, 
Houghton,  ^1.50. 


Appendix  309 

Cartwright.    Seven  Champions  of  Christendom  (p.   127). 

Dutton,  .50. 
Cary,  Alice  and  Phoebe.   Ballads  for  Little   Folk   (p.    136). 

Houghton,  $1.50. 
Chance.   Little  Folk  of  Many  Lands  (p.  67).   Ginn,  .40. 
Chapman.   Bird  Life  (p.  245).   Appleton,  $2.00. 
Chapman.    Color  Key  to  North  American  Birds  (p.  245). 

Appleton,  $2.50. 
Chase.   Mayken  (p.  193).  McClurg,  $1.00. 
Chaucer.    Canterbury  Tales  (p.  124).    The  Prologue,  The 

Knight's  Tale,  and  The  Nun's  Priest's  Tale.  Riverside 

Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Same.     Prologue  and  ten  tales,  modern  prose  rendering  by 

Mackaye,  colored  illustrations,  Dufficld,  $2.50. 
Chisholm.  Old  Testament  Stories  (p.  269).  Told  to  Children 

Series,  Dutton,  .50. 
Church.   Pictures  from  Greek  Life  and  Story  (p.  210).  Put- 
nam, ^1.25. 
Church.    Pictures  from  Roman  Life  and  Story  (p.  210). 

Appleton,  $1.50. 
Church.   Stories  from  Homer  (p.  127).   Seeley,  $1.25. 
Church.  Stories  of  Charlemagne  (p.  126).  Macmillan,  $1.75. 
Church.   Stories  of  the  East  (p.  210).   Seeley,  $1.25. 
Church.   Story  of  the  Iliad  (p.  127).   Macmillan,  ^i.oo. 
Church.    Story  of  the  Last  Days  of  Jerusalem  (p.  269). 

Seeley,  $1.25. 
Church.    Story  of  the  Odyssey  (p.  127).    Macmillan,  $1.00. 
Clark.    Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Ceylon  (p.  213).  Macmillan, 

•55- 
Clarke.  Astronomy  from  a  Dipper  (p.  244).  Houghton,  .60. 
Clement.    Stories  of  Art  and  Artists  (p.  222).    Houghton, 

$4.00. 
Coates.  Children's  Book  of  Poetry  (p.  135).  Winston,  ^1.34. 
Coburn.  Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin  (p.  215).   Page,  .60. 
Cochrane.    Four  Hundred  Animal  Stories  (p.  251).   Lippin- 

cott,  $1.25. 
Coffin.   Boys  of  '76  (p.  217).   Harper,  ^2.00. 
Coffin.   Boys  of  '61  (p.  217).   Estes,  $1.00. 
Coffin.    Daughters  of  the  Revolution  (p.  217).    Houghton, 

$1.50. 
Coffin.    My  Days  and  Nights  on  the  Battlefield  (p.  217). 

Estes,  }5 1. 25. 
Coleridge.    Golden   Book   (p.    140).     Everyman's   Library, 

Dutton,  leather,  .70. 


3IO  Appendix 

Coleridge.  Rime  of  the  Ancient  Mariner,  and  Selected  Poems 

(p.    140).     Bound  together  with  Selected  Poems  by 

Wordsworth,  Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 
Collins.  Boys'  Book  of  Model  Aeroplanes  (p.  236).  Century, 

$1.20. 
Collins.   Second  Boys'  Book  of  Model  Aeroplanes  (p.  236). 

Century,  ^1.20. 
Collodi.   Pinocchio  (p.  96).  Illustrated  by  Copeland,  Ginn, 

.40. 
Common  American  and  European  Insects  (p.  246).  Colored 

illustrations,  Funk,  .25. 
Common  Butterflies  and  Moths  of  America  and  Europe  (p. 

246).  Colored  illustrations,  Funk,  .25. 
Comstock,  A.  B.  Waysof  the  Six-Footed  (p.  246).  Ginn,  .40. 
Comstock,  J.  H.  and  A.  B.  Manual  for  the  Study  of  Insects 

(p.  246).  Comstock  Publishing  Company,  ^3.75. 
Coolidge.  KatyDid  Books  (p.  196).  5  volumes,  Little,  $1.25 

each. 
Cooper.    Last  of  the  Mohicans  (p.  161).   Illustrated  by  E. 

Boyd  Smith,  Holt,  $1.35. 
Cooper.  LeatherstockingTales  (p.  161).  Household  Edition, 

Houghton,  $1.00  each. 
Cotes.  See  Duncan,  S.  T. 
Cox.    Brownie  Books  (p.  56).    8  volumes.  Century,  ^1.50 

each,  except  Brownie  Clown  of  Brownietown,  Century, 

^i.oo. 
Craddock.  Young  Mountaineers  (p.  191).  Houghton,  ^i. 50. 
Craik.  John  Halifax  (p.  i6i).  Everyman's  Library,  Dutton, 

leather,  .70. 
Craik.    Little  Lame  Prince  (p.  96).    Illustrated  by  Hope 

Dunlap,  Rand,  ^1.25. 
Same.   Children's  Favorite  Qassics,  Crowell,  .50. 
Crane.    Baby's  Own  JEsop   (p.  54).   Illustrated  by  Walter 

Crane,  Wame,  $1.50. 
Crane.  Picture  Books  (p.  55).  Illustrated  by  Walter  Crane, 

7  volumes.  Lane,  $1.25  each.    Same  bound  in  paper 

covers,  27  parts,  .25  each. 
Crane.    Pan  Pipes  (p.  144).    Illustrated  by  Walter  Crane, 

Wame,  $1.50. 
Cruikshank.    Fairy-Book  (p.  55).    Illustrated  by  George 

Cruikshank,  Putnam,  $1.25. 
Curtis.   Little  Runaways  (p.  194).   Penn,  ^i.oo. 
Curtis.   Story  of  Cotton  (p.  243).  Penn,  .75. 
Curwood.  Wolf  Hunters  (p.  195).  Bobbs,  $1.50. 


Appendix  311 

Cutter.  Conundrums  (p.  239).  Paul,  .40. 

Cyr.  Advanced  First  Reader  (p.  62).  Ginn,  .28. 

Dalkeith.  Little  Plays  (p.  241).  Told  to  Children  Series, 
Dutton,  .50. 

Dalkeith.     Stories  from  French  History.     Dutton,  .50. 

Dalton.   How  to  Swim  (p.  238).  Putnam,  $1.00. 

Dana,  R.  H.   Two  Years  Before  the  Mast  (p.  221).    Illus- 
trated in  color  by  E.  Boyd  Smith,  Houghton,  $1.50. 
Same.    Illustrated  in  color  by  Charles  Pears,  Macmillan, 
$2.00. 

Dana,  Mrs.  W.  S.  How  to  Know  the  Wild  Flowers  (p.  247). 
Scribner,  $2.00. 

Dana,  Mrs.  W.  S.  Plants  and  their  Children  (p.  247). 
American  Book  Company,  .65. 

Dann.  Christmas  Carols  (p.  143).  American  Book  Company, 

•45- 

Darton.  Tales  of  the  Canterbury  Pilgrims  (p.  125).  Illus- 
trated by  Hugh  Thomson,  Stokes,  $1.50. 

Darton.  Wonder-Bookof  Old  Romance  (p.  128).  Illustrated 
by  A.  G.  Walker,  Stokes,  $1.50. 

Daulton.   Fritzi  (p.  192).   Century,  $1.50. 

Davidson.  Knight  Errant  (p.  123).  Illustrated  by  H.  M. 
Brock.     Lippincott,  $1.75. 

Davis,  C.  G.  Harper's  Boating  Book  for  Boys  (p.  237). 
Harper,  $1.75. 

Davis,  K.  W.  Punchinellos,  or  Pappina  (p.  194).  Flanagan,  .40. 

Davis,  M.  E.  M.  Moons  of  Balbanca  (p.  186).  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Defoe.    Robinson  Crusoe  (p.  158).    Illustrated  by  E.  Boyd 
Smith,  Houghton,  ^1.50. 
Same.   Illustrated  by  the  Brothers  Rhead,  Harper,  ^1.50. 
Same.   Including  both  parts,  McLoughlin,  ^i.oo. 

Delacombe.  Boys'  Book  of  Airships  (p.  242).   Stokes,  $2.00. 

Dick.   Bilberry  Wood  (p.  54).   Brentano's,  $1.50  o.  p. 

Dickens.  Novels  (p.  162).  Illustrated  by  Cruikshank,  Phiz, 
Leech  and  others.  Illustrated  Library  Edition,  Hough- 
ton, $1.50  each. 

Dickens.  Christmas  Books  (p.  162).  Illustrated  by  C.  E. 
Brock,  Dutton,  $1.00  each. 

Dier.  Children's  Book  of  Christmas  (p.  136).  Macmillan, 
$1.50. 

Dix.   Merrylips  (p.  189).  Macmillan,  $1.50. 

Dodge.  Hans  Brinker  (p.  156).  Scribner,  $1.50. 
Same.  Grosset,  .50. 


312  Appendix 

Dodge.  Land  of  Pluck  (p.  214).  Century,  $1.50. 

Dodge.  New  Baby  World  (p.  65).  Century,  $1.50. 

Dodge.  When  Life  is  Young  (p.  139).   Century,  ^1.25. 

Dodgson.     See  Carroll. 

Dole.   Russian  Fairy  Book  (p.  92).   Crowell,  ^2.00. 

Dole.    Young  Folks*  History  of  Russia  (p.  216).     Saalfield, 

^i.oo  o.  p. 
Doubleday.   Cattle  Ranch  to  College  (p.  192).   Doubleday, 

$1.25. 
Drummond.    Monkey  That  Would  Not  Kill  (p.  195).  Dodd, 

$1.00. 
Drysdale.   Beach  Patrol  (p.  192).   Wilde,  $1.50. 
Drysdale.  Fast  Mail  (p.  192).  Wilde,  $1.50. 
Drysdale.  Helps  for  Ambitious  Boys  (p.  241).  Crowell,  .75. 
Drysdale.   Helps  for  Ambitious  Girls  (p.  241).  Crowell,  .75. 
Du  Bois.  Lass  of  the  Silver  Sword  (p.  193).  Century,  $1.50. 
DuBois.  Leagueof  the  Signet-Ring  (p.  193).  Century,  $1.50. 
Du  Chaillu.  Country  of  the  Dwarfs  (p.  209).  Harper,  $1.25. 
Du  Chaillu.  In  African  Forest  and  Jungle  (p.  209).  Scribner, 

$1.50. 
Du  Chaillu.  Lost  in  the  Jungle  (p.  209).  Harper,  ^1.25. 
Du  Chaillu.  My  Apingi  Kingdom  (p.  209).  Harper,  ^1.25. 
Du  Chaillu.  Stories  of  the  Gorilla  Country  (p.  209).  Harper, 

$1.25. 
Dugmore.  Bird  Homes  (p.  245).  Doubleday,  $2.00. 
Duncan,  Frances.   When  Mother  Lets  Us  Garden  (p.  239). 

Moffat,  .75. 
Duncan,  S.  J.  Story  of  Sonny  Sahib  (p.  186).  Appleton,  $1.00. 
Dutton.     Little  Stories  of  France.     American  Book  Com- 
pany, .40. 
Dutton.  Little  Stories  of  Germany  (p.  214).  American  Book 

Company,  .40. 
Dutton.   Tortoise  and  the  Geese  (p.  88).   Houghton,  $1.00. 

Earle.  Flag  on  the  Hilltop  (p.  194).  Houghton,  .90. 
Eastman.   Indian  Boyhood  (p.  210).   Doubleday,  $1.60. 
Ebers.  Egyptian  Princess  (p.  160).  Astor  Library,  Crowell,  .60. 
Ebers.   Uarda  (p.  160).   Burt,  ^i.oo. 
Eckstorm.   Bird  Book  (p.  24s).   Heath,  .60. 
Eddy.   Friends  and  Helpers  (p.  67).  Ginn,  .60. 
Edgeworth.  Parent's  Assistant  (p.  157).  Macmillan,  .80. 

Same.   Illustrated  by  Hugh  Thomson,  Stokes,  $1.50. 
Eggeling  and  Ehrenberg.   Fresh  Water  Aquarium  (p.  238). 
Holt,  $2.00. 


Appendix  313 

Eggleston.  History  of  the  United  States  (p.  218).  Appleton, 

$2.50, 
Eggleston.   Hoosier  School-Boy  (p.  188).   Scribner,  $I.CX). 
Eliot.   Mill  on  the  Floss  (p.  163).   Little,  $1.00. 
Eliot.   Romola  (p.  163).   Little,  ^i.oo. 
Eliot.  Silas  Marner  (p.  163).  Illustrated  by  Hugh  Thomson, 

Cranford  Edition,  Macraillan,  $2.00. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Elliot.     Romance  of    Savage    Life  (p.  209).     Lippincott, 

^1.50. 
Elliott.    Mother  Goose  Melodies  set  to  Music  (p.   143). 

McLoughlin,  .50. 
Ellis.   Logan  the  Mingo  (p.  193).   Dutton,  ^1.25. 
Ellis.  Osceola  (p.  193).   Dutton,  $1.25. 
Elton.    Story  of  Sir  Francis  Drake  (p.  212).    Children's 

Heroes  Series,  Dutton,  .50. 
Escott-Inman.   Wulnoth  the  Wanderer  (p.  191).   McClurg, 

$1.50. 
Everyman,  and  Other  Miracle  Plays  (p.  166).   Everyman's 

Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Same.     Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Ewing.   Daddy  Darwin's  Dovecot  (p.  156).   Crowell,  .50. 
Ewing.  Jackanapes  (p.  156).  Illustrated  by  Randolph  Calde- 

cott,  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knov.^ledge,  .40. 
Ewing.     Lob  Lie-by-the-Fire  (p.  156).     Illustrated  in  color, 

Macmillan,  $1.00. 
Ewing.    Mary's  Meadow  (p.  156).    Society  for  Promoting 

Christian  Knowledge,  .40. 
Ewing.    Six   to   Sixteen    (p.   156).   Illustrated  in  color  by 

Wheelhouse,  Macmillan,  $1.00. 
Ewing.  Story  of  a  Short  Life  (p.  156).  Little,  ^I.OO. 

Famous  Adventures  and  Prison  Escapes  of  the  Civil  War  (p. 
217).  Century,  ^1.50. 

Field.  Love-Songs  of  Childhood  (p.  139).   Scribner,  $1.00. 

Field.  Lullaby-Land  (p.  139).  Illustrated  by  Charles  Robin- 
son, Scribner,  $1.50. 

Field.  Songs  of  Childhood  (p.  145).  Set  to  music  by  Reginald 
de  Koven  and  others,  Scribner,  $1.00. 

Field.   With  Trumpet  and  Drum  (p.  139).   Scribner,  ^i.oo. 

Finnemore.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  England  (p.  212). 
Macmillan,  .55. 

Finnemore.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  India  (p.  211).  Macmil- 
lan, .55. 


314  Appendix 

Finnemore.    Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Italy  (p.  215).    Mac- 

millan,  .55. 
Finnemore.    Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Japan  (p.  213).    Mac- 

millan,  .55. 
Fiske.  War  of  Independence  (p.  218).  Houghton,  .75. 
Fox.   Farmer  Brown  and  the  Birds  (p.  251).   Page,  .50. 
France.  Filles  et  Gar 90ns  (p.  54).  Illustrated  by  Boutet  de 

Monvel.  Brentano's,  $1.25. 
France.    Nos  Enfants  (p.  54).    Illustrated  by  Boutet  de 

Monvel,  Brentano's,  ^1.25. 
Francis.   Book  of  Cheerful  Cats  (p.  56).   Century,  $1.00. 
Franklin.    Poor  Richard's  Almanac  and  Other  Papers  (p. 

165).  Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  paper,  .15. 
Franklin.  Sayings  of  Poor  Richard  (p.  165).  Ariel  Bcxjklets, 

Putnam,  leather,  .75. 
Frazar.  Perseverance  Island  (p.  189).  Lothrop,  .60. 
French,  Allen.  Grettir  the  Strong  (p.  121).   Dutton,  $1.25. 
French,  Allen.  Heroes  of  Iceland,  (p.  121).    Little,  ^1.50. 
French,  Allen.  Story  of  Rolf  and  the  Viking's  Bow  (p.  190). 

Little,  $x. 50. 
French,  H.  W.  Lance  of  Kanana  (p.  188).  Lothrop,  ^i.oo. 
Froissart.  Chronicles  (p.  219).  Everyman's  Library,  Dutton, 

leather,  .70. 
Frye.  Brooks  and  Brook  Basins  (p.  249).  Ginn,  .50. 

Gall.  Easy  Guide  to  the  Constellations  (p.  244).  Putnam,.75. 
Garland.   Boy  Life  on  the  Prairie  (p.  217).  Harper,  $1.50. 
Gaskell.  Cranford  (p.  160).  Illustrated  by  Hugh  Thomson, 
Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  $2.00. 

Same.   Illustrated  by  C.  E.  Brock,  Dutton,  ^2.CX). 

Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Gates.   Little  Girl  Blue  (p.  65).   Houghton,  .50. 
Gatty.   Parables  from  Nature  (p.  271).   Putnam,  $2.50. 

Same.  Everyman's  Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Genn.    PeepsatGreatCities, Rome  (p.215).    Macmillan,  .55. 
Gibson,  C.  C.  In  Eastern  Wonderlands  (p.  212).  Little,  $i.5a 
Gibson,  W.  H.   Blossom  Hosts  (p.  250).  Newson,  .80. 
Gibson,  W.  H.   Eye  Spy  (p.  250).   Harper,  ^2.50. 
Gibson,  W.  H.   Sharp  Eyes  (p.  250).   Harper,  $2.50. 
Gilder.  Heart  of  Youth  (p.  136).  Sturgis,  ^1.25. 
Gilman.  Son  of  the  Desert  (p.  191).  Century,  $1.50. 
Gladden.   Santa  Claus  on  a  Lark  (p.  189).  Century,  $x.2$. 
Goethe.    Hermann  and  Dorothea  (p.  140).    Translated  by 
Frothingbam,  Ariel  Booklets,  leather,  Putnam,  .75. 


Appendix  315 

Golding.   Story  of  David  Livingstone  (p.  209).   Children's 
Heroes  Scries,  Dutton,  .50. 

Goldsmith.   She  Stoops  to  Conquer,  and  The  Good-Natured 
Man  (p.  167).    Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton, 
.40. 
Same.   Bound  in  leather,  2  volumes,  Ariel  Booklets,  Put- 
nam, .75  each. 

Goldsmith.  Vicar  of  Wakefield  (p.  164).  Illustrated  by  Hugh 
Thomson,  Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  $2.00. 
Same.   Illustrated  by  C.  E.  Brock,  Dutton,  ^2.00. 
Same.  Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 

Gomme.  Old  English  Singing  Games  (p.  144).  Allen,  .87  o.  p. 

Good.   Magical  Experiments  (p.  240).  McKay,  $1.25. 

Goody  Two  Shoes,  edited  by  Charles  Welsh  (p.  64).   Home 
and  School  Classics,  Heath,  .20. 

Goss.  Jed  (p.  188).  Crowell,  .75. 

Gould.  Felicia  Books  (p.  196).  4  volumes,  Penn,  $1.00  each. 

Greenaway.    A,  Apple  Pie   (p.   52).    Illustrated  by  Kate 
Greenaway,  Routledge,  o.  p. 

Greenaway.   Marigold  Garden  (p.  55).   Illustrated  by  Kate 
Greenaway,  Warne,  $1.50. 

Greenaway.  Under  the  Window  (p.  55).  Illustrated  by  Kate 
Greenaway,  Warne,  $1.50. 

Greene.   Coal  and  Coal  Mines  (p.  248).  Houghton,  .75. 

Greenwood.  Stories  from  Famous  Ballads,  edited  by  Caroline 
Burnite  (p.  121).   Ginn,  .50. 

Grierson.   Children's  Book  of  Edinburgh  (p.  211).  Macmil- 
lan, $2.00. 

Grierson.    Children's  Tales  from  Scottish  Ballads  (p.  120). 
Macmillan,  $2.00. 

Grierson.   Scottish  Fairy  Book  (p.  87).   Stokes,  $1.50. 

Griffis.   China's  Story  (p.  212).  Houghton,  $1.25. 

Griffis.   Fire-Fly's  Lovers  (p.  91).   Crowell,  $1.00. 

Griffis.  Japan  (p.  212).   Houghton,  .75. 

Griffis.  Young  People's  History  of  Holland  (p.  214).  Hough- 
ton, ^1.50. 

Grimm.    Cherry  Blossom   (p.   54).    Illustrated  by  Helen 
Stratton,  Blackie,  .50  o.  p. 

Grimm.    Household  Tales  (p.  89).    Illustrated  by  Walter 
Crane,  Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  ^1.50. 
Same.   Illustrated  by  Helen  Stratton,  Dodge,  $1.50. 
Same.  Illustrated  by  Johann  and  Leinweber,  McLoughlin, 

$1.50. 
Same.  Illustrated  by  Arthur  Rackham,  Doubleday,  ^.00. 


3i6 


Appendix 


Same.    Edited  by  H.  E.  Scudder.   Riverside  Literature 

Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Grinnell,    Jack  the  Young  Ranchman  Series  (p.  196).    6 

volumes,  Stokes,  ^1.25  each. 
Grover.  Sunbonnet  Babies'  Book  (p.  63).   Rand,  .75. 
Guerber.   Stories  of  Famous  Operas  (p.  167).   Dodd,  ^1.50. 
Guerber.    Stories  of  the  Wagner  Operas  (p.  167).    Dodd, 

31.50. 

Haaren  and  Poland.  Famous  Men  of  the  Middle  Ages  (p. 

219).    American  Book  Company,  .50. 
Habberton.   Helen's  Babies  (p.  195).     Caldwell,  $1.25. 
Haines.  Cock-a-Doodle  Hill  (p.  193).  Holt,  $1.50. 
Haines.  Luck  of  the  Dudley  Grahams  (p.  193).  Holt,  $1.50. 
Hale.  Last  of  the  Peterkins  (p.  196).  Little,  ^1.25. 
Hale.   Peterkin  Papers  (p.  196).   Houghton,  $1.50. 
Hall.  Boys  of  Scrooby  (p.  190).  Houghton,  $1.50. 
Hall.  Golden  Arrow  (p.  190).   Houghton,  $1.25. 
Hall.  In  the  Brave  Days  of  Old  (p.  190).  Houghton,  $1.50. 
Hamerton.    Chapters   on    Animals    (p.    243).    Home    and 

School  Classics,  Heath,  .25. 
Hamlin.  Chicopee  Series  (p.  196).   3  volumes.  Little,  $1.25 

each. 
Hamp.  Treasure  of  Mushroom  Rock  (p.  194).  Putnam,  ^1.25. 
Hardy.  Hall  of  Shells  (p.  249).  Appleton,  .60.  o.  p. 
Hardy.  Sea  Wonders  for  Wonder  Eyes  (p.  249).  Ginn,  .40. 
Harris.   Uncle  Remus,  His  Songs  and  His  Sayings  (p.  86). 

Appleton,  $2.00. 
Hart.    Source  Readers  (p.  218).    4  volumes,  Macmillan, 

volume  I,  .40;  volume  2,  .50;  volumes  3,  4,  .60  each. 
Haskell.  0-Heart-San  (p.  193).   Page,  .75. 
Hathaway.   Napoleon,  the  Little  Corsican  (p.  213).    Rand, 

^i.oo. 
Hatton  and  Plate.  Magicians* Tricks  (p.  240).  Century,  3l.6o. 
Hauff.    Fairy  Tales  (p.  95).   Illustrated   by  Arthur  Dixon, 

Dutton,  ^2.50. 
Havell.  Stories  from  Don  Quixote  (p.  127).  Dodge,  ^1.50. 
Ha  veil.   Stories  from  the  ^Eneid  (p.  126).   Dodge,  $1.50. 
Havell.   Stories  from  the  Iliad  (p.  126).   Dodge,  ^1.50. 
Havell.   Stories  from  the  Odyssey  (p.  126).   Dodge,  $1.50. 
Hawthorne.   Biographical  Stories  (p.  219).    Riverside  Liter- 
ature Series,  Houghton,  .25. 
Hawthorne.  Grandfather's  Chair    (p.  217).  Riverside  Liter- 
ature Series,  Houghton,  .50. 


Appendix  317 

Hawthorne.  House  of  the  Seven  Gables  (p.  162).  New  Way- 
side Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Hawthorne.  Little  Daffydowndilly  (p.  96).  Riverside  Litera- 
ture Series,  Houghton,  .40. 

Hawthorne.    Marble  Faun.     New  Wayside  Edition,  Hough- 
ton, $1.00. 

Hawthorne.  Mosses  from  an  Old  Manse  (p.  162).  New  Way- 
side Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Hawthorne.  Tanglewood  Tales  (p.  90).  Illustrated  by  G.  W. 
Edwards,  Houghton,  $2.50. 
Same.  Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 

Hawthorne.      Twice-Told  Tales   (p.   162).    New  Wayside 
Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Hawthorne.    Wonder-Book  (p.  90).    Illustrated  by  Walter 
Crane,  Houghton,  ^3.00. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 

Hawthorne.    Wonder-Book  and  Tanglewood  Tales  (p.  90). 
Illustrated  by  H.  G.  Fell,  Dutton,  $2.50. 

Hazlitt.  Table  Talk  (p.  165).  Everyman's  Library,  Dutton, 
leather,  .70. 

Headland.   Chinese  Boy  and  Girl  (p.  212).   Revell,  ^i.oo. 

Headland.    Our  Little   Chinese    Cousin    (p.   212).     Page, 
.60.  ^ 

Heine.   Songs  and  Lyrics  (p.  142).  Translated  by  Sir  Theo- 
dore Martin,  Scribner,  $2.00. 

Henning.  Maid  of  Orleans  (p.  213).   McClurg,  .50. 

Henty.  Stories  (pp.  192,  203).    Scribner,  $1.50  each,  except- 
ing With  Frederick  the  Great,  Scribner,  .75. 

Herrick.    Selected  Poems  (p.   142).    Bound  together  with 
poems  by  Herbert,  Dryden,  and  others.  Modern  Classics, 
Houghton,  .40. 
Same.   Edited  by  E.  E.  Hale,  Ginn,  .60. 

Higgins.  Little  Gardens  for  Boys  and  Girls  (p.  239).  Hough- 
ton, $1.10. 

Higginson.   Tales  of  the  Enchanted  Islands  of  the  Atlantic 
(p.  124).  Macmillan,  $1.50. 

Hill,  C.  T.   Fighting  a  Fire  (p.  242).   Century,  $1.50. 

Hill,  Francis.  Outlaws  of  Horseshoe  Hold  (p.  193).  Scribner, 
$1,000.  p. 

Hinkson.   Great  Captain  (p.  190).   Benziger,  .45. 

Hitch.   Wee  Folk's  Alphabet  (p.  53).   Dutton,  .50. 

Hodges.  Saints  and  Heroes  (p.  269).  Holt,  $1.35. 

Hoffman.   Temple  Shakespeare  for  Children  (p.  166).   Sepa- 
rate plays,  Dutton,  leather,  .60  each. 


3i8  Appendix 

Same,   i  volume  edition,  illustrated  in  color  by  Folkard, 

Dutton,  $3.00. 
Hoffmann.  SlovenlyPeter  (Struwwelpeter)  (p.  57).  Winston, 

.86. 
Holbrook.  Hiawatha  Primer  (p.  62).  Houghton,  .75. 
Holbrook.  Nature  Myths  (p.  63).  Houghton,  .65. 
Holbrook.  Northland  Heroes  (p.  123).  Riverside  Literature 

Series,  Houghton,  .35. 
Holden.  Stories  of  the  Great  Astronomers  (p.  244).  Apple- 
ton,  .75. 
Holland.  Butterfly  Book  (p.  246).  Doubleday,  }53.oo. 
Holmes.   Grandmother's  Story  of  Bunker  Hill  Battle,  and 

Other  Poems  (p.    140).    Riverside   Literature    Series, 

Houghton,  .25. 
Homer.    Iliad  (pp.  102,  116,  126).    Translated  into  blank 

verse,  by  W.  C.  Bryant;  Roslyn  Edition,  Houghton, 

$2.50;  Students'  Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 
Same.   Translated  into  prose  by  Lang,  Leaf  and  Myers, 

Macmillan,  .80. 
Homer.  Odyssey  (pp.  102,  116,  126).  Translated  into  blank 

verse  by  W.  C.  Bryant.    Roslyn  Edition,  Houghton, 

^2.50;  Students'  Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 
Same.  Translated  into  prose  by  Professor  G.  H.  Palmer, 

Houghton,  $1.00. 
Hopkins.  Magic  (p.  239).  Munn,  ^2.50. 
Hoppin.  Recollections  of  Auton  House  (p.  196).  Houghton, 

$1.2$. 
Hornaday.    American  Natural  History  (p.  249).    Scribner, 

$3-50. 
Hornaday.  TwoYearsinthe  Jungle  (p.  213).  Scribner,  $2.50. 
Howard,  B.  W.   No  Heroes  (p.  189).   Houghton,  .75. 
Howard,  O.  O.  Famous  Indian  Chiefs  I  Have  Known  (p.  209). 

Century,  $1.50. 
Howden.   Boys'  Book  of  Steamships  (p.  242).    Doubleday, 

$2.00. 
Howells.   Boy's  Town  (p.  195).   Harper,  $1.25. 
Hughes,  Rupert.  Lakerim  Athletic  Club  (p.  192).  Century, 

Hughes,  Thomas.    Tom  Brown's  School  Days   (p.   159). 

Illustrated  by  E.  J.  Sullivan,  Cranford  Edition,  Macnul- 

lan,  $2.00. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .50. 
Hugo.    Les  Miscrables  (p.    162).    2    volumes,  Everyman's 

Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70  each. 


Appendix  319 

Hull.  Boy's  Cuchulain  (p.  124).  Crowell,  ^1.50. 

Hunt.    Abou  Ben  Adhem,  and  Selected  Poems  (p.  139). 

Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 
Huntington.   His  Majesty's  Sloop  Diamond  Rock  (p.  188). 

Houghton,  ^1.50. 
Hurll.  Riverside  Art  Series  (p.  222).  Houghton,  .75  each. 

IngersoU.  Book  of  the  Ocean  (p.  249).  Century,  ^1.50. 

IngersoU.   Ice  Queen  (p.  190).   Harper,  .60. 

Irving.    Alhambra  (p.  128).    Illustrated  by  Joseph  Pennell, 

Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  $1.50. 
Irving.    Old  Christmas  (p.  165).    Illustrated  by  Randolph 

Caldecott,  Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  ^1.50. 
Irving.    Rip  Van  Winkle   (p.   86).    Illustrated  by  G.  H. 

Boughton,  Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  $1.50. 
Irving.  Sketch  Book  (p.  165).  Everyman's  Library,  Dutton, 

leather,  .70. 
Irving.  Tales  from  the  Alhambra,  edited  by  Brower  (p.  128). 

Illustrated  by  C.  E.  Brock,  Houghton,  ^1.25. 

Jackson.  Nelly's  Silver  Mine  (p.  157).  Illustrated  in  color. 
Little,  $2.00. 

Jackson.   Ramona  (p.  163).   Little,  $1.50. 

Jacobs.   Celtic  Fairy  Tales  (p.  87).   Putnam,  ^1.25. 

Jacobs.   English  Fairy  Tales  (p.  88).   Putnam,  ^1.25. 

Jacobs.   Indian  Fairy  Tales  (p.  88).   Putnam,  $1.75. 

Jacobs.   More  Celtic  Fairy  Tales  (p.  87).   Putnam,  $1.25. 

Jacobs.   More  English  Fairy  Tales  (p.  88).   Putnam,  ^1.25. 

Jcnks.  Boys'  Book  of  Explorations  (p.  219).  Doubleday, 
^2.00. 

Jenks.  PhotographyforYoungPeople(p.  237).  Stokes,  ^1.50. 

Jewett,  J.  H.  Hans  and  Little  Hilda  (p.  53).  Dutton,  .50. 

Jewett,  S.  O.   Betty  Leicester  (p.  187).   Houghton,  $1.25. 

Jewett,  S.  O.  Betty  Leicester's  Christmas  (p.  187).  Hough- 
ton, ^i.oo. 

Jewett,  S.  O.   Play-Days  (p.  186).   Houghton,  ^1.50. 

Johnson,  Clifton.  Narrative  Bible  (p.  268).  Doubleday,  $1.50. 

Johnson,  Constance.  When  Mother  Lets  Us  Cook  (p.  235). 
Moffat,  .75. 

Johnson,  Constance.  When  Mother  Lets  Us  Keep  Pets  (p. 
239).  Moffat,  .75. 

Johnson,  Rossiter.  Phaeton  Rogers  (p.  196).  Scribner,  ^1.50. 

Johnston  and  Spencer.  Ireland's  Story  (p.  211).  Houghton, 
$1.40. 


320  Appendix 

Jungman.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Holland  (p.  214).  Mao 
millan,  .55. 

Kaufman.  Our  Young  Folks'  Plutarch  (p.  210).  Lippincott, 
^1.25. 

Keats.  Poems  (p.  141).   Cabinet  Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Keene.  Boys'  Own  Guide  to  Fishing  (p.  247).  Lothrop,  $1.50. 

Kelley,  D.  M.  Story  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  (p.  212).  Chil- 
dren's Heroes  Series,  Dutton,  .50. 

Kelley,  J.  G.  Boy  Mineral  Collectors  (p.  247).  Lippincott, 
$1.50. 

Kellogg.  Insect  Stories  (p.  246).  Holt,  $1.50. 

Kelly.    Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Burma  (p.  213).    Macmillan, 

■S5- 

Kelman.  Stories  from  the  Life  of  Christ  (p.  269).  Told  to 
Children  Series,  Dutton,  .50. 

Kelman.  Story  of  Chalmers  of  New  Guinea  (p.  212).  Chil- 
dren's Heroes  Series,  Dutton,  .50. 

Kempis,  Thomas  a.     Imitation  of  Christ.  Oxford,  .60.     . 
Edition  de  Luxe,  Houghton,  $2.50. 

Kennan.  Tent  Life  in  Siberia  (p.  216).  Putnam,  ^2.50. 

Kennedy.  New  World  Fairy  Book  (p.  96).  Dutton,  $2.00. 

Kenneth-Brown.  Two  Boys  in  a  Gyrocar  (p.  194).  Hough- 
ton, ^1.20. 

Keysor.  Great  Artists  (p.  222).  5  volumes,  Educational 
Publishing  Company,  .50  each. 

Kidd.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  South  Africa  (p.  209).  Mac- 
millan, .55. 

Kieffer.  Recollections  of  a  Drummer-Boy  (p.  218).  Hough- 
ton, $1.50. 

Kingsley.   Hereward  the  Wake  (p.  164).  Macmillan,  $1.00. 

Kingsley.  Heroes  (p.  90).  Illustrated  in  color  by  T.  H.  Rob- 
inson, Dutton,  ^2.50;   Macmillan,  $  1 .00. 

Kingsley.  Hypatia  (p.  164).   Macmillan,  $1.00. 

Kingsley.  Sands  of  Dee  and  Selected  Poems  and  Songs  (p. 
143).  Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 

Kingsley.    Water-Babies   (p.  98).    Illustrated  by  Arthur 
Dixon,  Dutton,  $2.50. 
Same.   Everyman's  Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 

Kingsley.  Westward  Ho!  (p.  164).  Macmillan,  $1.00. 

Kipling.  Captains  Courageous  (d.  187).   Century,  $1.50. 

Kipling.  Jungle  Book  (p.  95).   Century,  $1.50. 

Kipling.   Puck  of  Pook's  Hill  (p.  189).   Doubleday.  $1.50. 

Kirkland,  E.  S.  Dora's  Housekeeping  (p.  236).  McClurg,.7S. 


Appendix  321 

Kirkland,  E.  S.    Short  History  of  English  Literature  for 

Young  People  (p.  221).   McClurg,  $1.25. 
Kirkland,  E.  S.    Short  History  of  Italy  (p.  215).   McClurg, 

^1.25. 
Kirkland,  E.  S.  Six  Little  Cooks  (p.  235).   McClurg,  .75. 
Kirkland,  Winifred.    Home-Comers  (p.  190).     Houghton, 

$1.20. 
Knox.  Boys'  Life  of  General  Grant  (p.  217).  Saalfield,  $1.25. 
Kuchler.  Queen  Maria  Sophia  of  Naples  (p.  215).  McClurg, 

.50. 
Kupfer.   Legends  of  Greece  and  Rome  (p.  90).   Heath,  .75. 

Laboulaye.  Quest  of  the  Four-Leaved  Clover,  edited  by  W. 

T.  Field  (p.  158).   Ginn,  .40. 
La  Fontaine.  Fables  (p.  55).  Illustrated  by  Boutet  de  Mon- 

vel,  Brentano's,  ^2.35. 
Lagerlof.  Wonderful  Adventures  of  Nils  (p.  92).  Doubleday, 

$1.50. 
Lamb,  Charles.  Essays  of  Elia  (p.  165).  Everyman's  Library, 

Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Same.   Selected.   Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 
Lamb,  Charles.  Tales  from  Shakespeare  (p.  166).  Illustrated 

in  color,  Dutton,  ^2.50. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .50. 
Lamb,  Charles  and  Mary.    Poetry   for   Children    (p.  138). 

Illustrated  by  Winifred  Green,  Dutton,  $1.50. 
La  Motte  Fouque.    Undine,  and  Sintram  (p.  97).   Modern 

Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 
La  Motte  Fouque.   Undine,  retold  by  Mary  Macgregor  (p. 

97).  Told  to  Children  Series,  Dutton,  .50. 
La  Motte  Fouque.    Undine  (p.  97).    Illustrated  by  Arthur 

Rackham,  Doubleday,  ^2.50. 
Lang,  Andrew.   Animal  Story  Book  (p.  251).   Illustrated  by 

H.  J.  Ford,  Longmans,  $2.00. 
Lang,  Andrew.  Blue  Fairy  Book  (p.  9:^).  Illustrated  by  H.  J. 

Ford  and  G.  P.  J.  Hood,  Longmans,  $2.00. 
Same.  Grosset,  .50. 
Lang,  Andrew.   BluePoetry  Book(p.  119).  Longmans,  }52.oo. 
Lang,  Andrew.   Book  of  Romance  (p.  127).   Illustrated  by 

H.  J.  Ford,  Longmans,  $1.60. 
Lang,  Andrew.    Brown  Fairy  Book  (p.  92).    Illustrated  by 

H.  J.  Ford,  Longmans,  $1.60. 
Lang,  Andrew.   Red  Book  of  Animal  Stories  (p.  251).   Illus- 
trated by  H.  J.  Ford,  Longmans,  $2.00. 


322  Appendix 

Lang,  Andrew.  Red  Fairy  Book  (p.  92).  Illustrated  by  H.  J. 

Ford,  Longmans,  $2.00. 
Same.  Grosset,  .50. 
Lang,  Andrew.  Red  True  Story  Book  (p.  221).    Illustrated 

by  H.  J.  Ford,  Longmans,  $2.00. 
Lang,  Andrew.  True  Story  Book  (p.  221).  Longmans,  $2.00. 
Lang,  Andrew.  Violet  Fairy  Book  (p.  92).  Illustrated  by  H. 

J.  Ford,  Longmans,  ^1.60. 
Lang,  Andrew.  Yellow  Fairy  Book  (p.  92).  Illustrated  by  H. 

J.  Ford,  Longmans,  $2.00. 
Same.  Grosset,  .50. 
Lang,  Mrs.  Andrew.  Book  of  Princes  and  Princesses  (p.  220). 

Longmans,  ^1.60. 
Lang,  Mrs.  Andrew.   Red  Book  of  Heroes  (p.  220).   Long- 
mans, $1.60. 
Lang,  John.    Story  of  Captain  Cook  (p.  212).     Children's 

Heroes  Series,  Dutton,  .50. 
Lanier.  Boy's  Froissart  (p.  219).  Scribner,  ^2.00. 
Lanier.  Boy's  King  Arthur  (p.  125).   Scribner,  $2.00. 
Lanier.   Boy's  Percy  (p.  120).   Scribner,  $2.00. 
Larcom.  Childhood  Songs  (p.  137).   Houghton,  $1.00. 
Lawrence.   Riverside  Graded  Song-Book  (p.  144).   2  parts, 

Houghton,  .40  each. 
Lear.  Jumblies,  and  Other  Nonsense  Verses  (p.  137).   Illus- 
trated by  L.  Leslie  Brooke,  Wame,  $1.25. 
Lear.    Nonsense  Books  (p.  137).    Complete  in  one  volume, 

illustrated  by  Edward  Lear,  Duffield,  $2.50. 
Lear.    Nonsense  Songs  (p.  137).    Illustrated  by  L.  Leslie 

Brooke,  Wame,  $2.00. 
Lear.  Pelican  Chorus,  and  Other  Nonsense  Verses  (p.  137). 

Wame,  $1.25. 
Lefevre.  Cock,  the  Mouse,  and  the  Little  Red  Hen  (p.  64). 

Jacobs,  $1.00. 
Lever.   Charles  O'Malley  (p.  159).   Library  Edition,  Burt, 

$1.00. 
L.  G.  T.  Three  Years  Behind  the  Guns  (p.  218).   Century, 

$1.50. 
Lincoln.  Marjorie's  Quest  (p.  193).   Houghton,  jti.50. 
Lindsay.  Mother  Stories  (p.  96).   Bradley,  $1.00. 
Lockhart.   Spanish  Ballads  (p.  123).   Putnam,  $1.25. 
London.  Cruise  of  the  Dazzler  (p.  192).  Century,  ^i.oo. 
Longfellow.    Children's  Longfellow  (p.  141).    Illustrated  in 

color,  Houghton,  $3.00. 
Longfellow.     Poems    (p.    141).     New  Household  Edition, 

Houghton,?  I. SO. 


Appendix  ^'^3 

Longfellow.    Song  of  Hiawatha   (p.  86).      Illustrated  by- 
Frederic  Remington,  Popular  Edition,  $2.00;  New  Holi- 
day Edition,  illustrated  by  Remington,  with  cover  design 
by  Maxfield  Parrish,  Houghton,  $2. so. 
Same.  Grosset,  .50. 

Longfellow.   Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn  (p.  141).    Houghton, 
$1.00. 

Lorenzini.  SeeCoUodi. 

Lounsberry.    Garden  Book  for  Young    People   (p.   239). 
Stokes,  $1.50. 

Lowe.  Little  Workers  (p.  53).  Dutton,  $1.00. 

Lowell.   Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,  and  Selected  Poems  (p.  143). 
Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 

Lucas,  E.  V.    Book  of  Verses  for  Children  (p.  135).    Illus- 
trated by  F.  D.  Bedford,  Holt,  $2.00. 

Lucas,  E.  V.    Forgotten  Tales  of  Long  Ago  (p.  155).  Illus- 
trated by  F.  D.  Bedford,  Stokes,  ^1.50. 

Lucas,  E.  V.  Old-Fashioned  Tales  (p.  155).   Stokes,  ^1.50. 

Lucas,  Frederick.  Animals  of  the  Past  (p.  248).    Doubleday 
$2.00. 

Lummis.    Some  Strange  Corners  of  our  Country  (p.  218). 
Century,  $1.50. 

Mabie.  Book  of  Christmas  (p.  136).  Macmillan,  $1.25. 
Mabie.  Bookof  Old  English  Ballads  (p.  119).  Illustrated  by 

G.  W.  Edwards,  Macmillan,  $1.25. 
Mabie.  Essays  Every  Child  Should  Know  (p.  164).  Double- 
day,  .90. 
Mabie.    Heroines   Every   Child   Should   Know   (p.    220). 

Doubleday,  .90. 
Mabie.     Norse   Stories   from   the   Eddas   (p.   91).    Dodd, 

$1.80. 
Macaulay.  Essays  (p.  164).  Everyman's  Library,  2  volumes, 

Dutton,  leather,  .70  each. 
Macaulay.   Essays  on  Lord  Clive  and  Warren  Hastings  (p. 

164).   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Macaulay.    Lays  of  Ancient  Rome   (p.   141).    Longmans, 

$1.25. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .25. 
MacDonald.    Princess  and  Curdy  (p.  97).    Illustrated  by 

M.  L.  Kirk,  Lippincott,  ^1.50. 
MacDonald.  Princess  and  the  Goblin  (p.  97).  Illustrated  by 

M.  L.  Kirk,  Lippincott,  $1.50. 
McDonald   and   Dalrymple.     Betty   in    Canada    (p.    21 1). 

Little  People  Everywhere  Series,  Little,  .60. 


324  Appendix 

McDonald  and  Dalrymple.  Gerda  in  Sweden  (p.  215).  Little 

People  Everywhere  Series,  Little,  .60. 
McDonald  and  Dalrymple.    Kathleen  in  Ireland  (p.  211). 

Little  People  Everywhere  Series,  Little,  .60. 
McDonald  and  Dalrymple.    Manuel  in  Mexico  (p.  215). 

Little  People  Everywhere  Series,  Little,  .60. 
MacdoncU.   Italian  Fairy  Book  (p.  90).   Stokes,  $1.50. 
Mace.  Home  Fairy  Tales  (p.  95).  Harper,  ^1.50. 
McFadden.  Babies'  Hymnal  (p.  269).  McClurg,  ^1.25. 
Macgregor.  Stories  of  the  Vikings  (p.  216).   Dutton,  .50. 
Macgregor.  Story  of  France  (p.  213).  Stokes,  ^2.50. 
Mcllvaine.  Outdoors,  Indoors,  and  Up  the  Chimney  (p.  250). 

Sunday  School  Times  Company,  .75. 
Mackay.  House  of  the  Heart  (p.  241).   Holt,  $1.10. 
Mackay.     Patriotic  Plays   and  Pageants   (p.  241).    Holt, 

^1.35. 
Macleod.  Ballads  in  Prose  (p.  120).  Stokes,  $1.50. 
Macleod.  Book  of  King  Arthur  (p.  125).  Stokes,  $1.50. 
Macleod.   Stories  from  the  Faerie  Queene  (p.  124).  Stokes, 

$1.50. 
McManus.  Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin  (p.  214).  Page,  .60. 
McManus.  Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin  (p.  211).  Page,  .60. 
MacPherson.  Poems  of  Ossian  (p.  123).     Macmillan,  o.  p. 
McSpadden.    Stories  from  Chaucer  (p.   124).    Children's 

Favorite  Classics,  Crowell,  .50. 
McSpadden.    Stories  from  Wagner  (p.   122).     Children's 

Favorite  Classics,  Crowell,  .50. 
Malone.  West  Point  Series  (p.  197).  4  volumes,  Pena  ^1.25 

each. 
Manzoni.  Betrothed  (p.  163).  Macmillan,  $1.50. 
Marden.   Success  (p.  242).   Wilde,  $1.25. 
Marden.  Winning  Out  (p.  242).  Lothrop,  $1.00. 
Marry  at.  Masterman  Ready  (p.  189).   Warne,  ^i.co. 
Marshall.     Child's    English   Literature    (p.   221).    Stokes, 

$2.00. 
Marshall.  Empire  Story  (p.  210).  Stokes,  $2.50. 
Marshall.  Island  Story  (p.  210).  Stokes,  ^2.50. 
Marshall.   Scotland's  Story  (p.  210).   Stokes,  ^2.50. 
Marshall.    Stories  of  Beowulf  (p.  121).    Told  to  Children 

Series,  Dutton,  .50. 
Marshall.   Stories  of  Childe  Roland  (p.  126).  Told  to  Chil- 
dren Series,  Dutton,  .50. 
Marshall.  Story  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  (p.  213).  Children's 

Heroes  Series,  Dutton,  .50. 


Appendix  325 

Mathews.  Familiar  Trees  and  their  Leaves  (p.  248).  Apple- 
ton,  ^1.75. 

Mathews.   Field  Book  of  American  Wild  Flowers  (p.  247). 
Putnam,  $1.75. 

Matthews.    Songs  of  All  Lands  (p.  144).    American  Book 
Company,  .50. 

Miles.   Natural  History  (p.  249).   Dodd,  $1.50. 

Miller,  Hugh.    Old  Red  Sandstone  (p.  250).    Everyman's 
Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 

Miller,  Joaquin.  True  Bear  Stories  (p.  244).  Rand,  $I.CX}. 

Miller,  O.  T.  First  Book  of  Birds  (p.  245).  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Miller,  O.  T.  Four-Handed  Folk  (p.  243).   Houghton,  $1.25. 

Miller,  O.  T.   Kristy  Books  (p.  196).   3  volumes,  Houghton, 
^1.25  each. 

Miller,  O.  T.  Our  Home  Pets  (p.  239).   Harper,  ^1.25. 

Miller,  O.  T.    Second  Book  of  Birds  (p.  245).    Houghton, 
$1.00. 

Miller,  O.  T.  True  Bird  Stories  (p.  245).   Houghton,  ^i.oo. 

Miller,  O.  T.  What  Happened  to  Barbara  (p.  191).  Hough- 
ton, ^1.25. 

Miller,   Sara.    Under  the  Eagle's  Wing  (p.   191).    Jewish 
Publication  Society,  .50. 

Milton.  L'AUegro  and  II  Penseroso  (p.  140).  Ariel  Booklets, 
Putnam,  leather,  .75. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .25. 

Mitford.   Our  Village  (p.  162).   Illustrated  by  Hugh  Thom- 
son, Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  $1.50. 
Same.   Illustrated  by  C.  E.  Brock,  Dutton,  $2.00. 

Mitten.    Children's  Book  of  London  (p.  211).    Macmillan, 
^2.00. 

Mitton.  Children'sBookof  Stars  (p.  244).  Macmillan,  $2.00. 

Mockler-Ferryman.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Norway  (p.  216). 
Macmillan,  .55. 

Moffett.  Careers  of  Danger  and  Daring  (p.  242).   Century, 
^1.50. 

Moore,  N.  H.  Children  of  Other  Days  (p.  52).  Stokes,  _$l.SO. 

Moore,  Thomas.    Lalla  Rookh  (p.   140).    Pocket  Library 
Edition,  Dutton,  leather,  .75. 

Morgan.   How  to  Dress  a  Doll  (p.  235).   Altemus,  .50. 

Morley.   Bee  People  (p.  246).   McClurg,  ^1.25. 

Morley.   Butterflies  and  Bees  (p.  246).   Ginn,  .60. 

Morley.  Donkey  John  of  the  Toy  Valley  (p.  186).  McClurg, 
$1.25. 

Morley.  Flowers  and  their  Friends  (p.  247).  Ginn,  .50. 


326  Appendix 

Morley.  Grasshopper  Land  (p.  246).  McClurg,  ^1.25. 

Morley.  Little  Wanderers  (p.  247).  Ginn,  .30. 

Morley.   Seed-Babies  (p.  67).  Ginn,  .25. 

Morris.   Heroes  of  the  Navy  in  America  (p.  217).   Lippin* 

cott,  $1.25. 
Morris,  William.  House  of  the  Wolfings  (p.  164).  Longmans, 

^2.00. 
Morris,  William.    Story  of  Sigurd  the  Volsung  (p.  122). 

Longmans,  $2.00. 
Morris,  William.     Sundering  Flood  (p.  164).     Longmans, 

^2.25. 
Mprris,  William,  and  Magnusson.    Stories  of  the  Kings  of 

Norway  (p.  122).   2  volumes,  Scribner,  o.  p. 
Morrison,  M.  W.  Songs  and  Rhymes  for  the  Little  Ones  (p. 

66).  Page,  $1.00. 
Morrison,  S.  E.  Chilhowee  Boys  (p.  187).   Crowell,  .75. 
Moses.   Lewis  Carroll  (p.  221).  Appleton,  $1.25. 
Moses.  Louisa  May  Alcott  (p.  221).  Appleton,  ^1.25. 
Mother  Goose  Melodies  (p.  66).    Edited  by  Wheeler,  illus- 
trated, Houghton,  $1.50. 
Same.    Title,  Nursery  Rhyme  Book.    Edited  by  Andrew 

Lang,  illustrated  by  L.  Leslie  Brooke,  Warne,  $1.50. 
Same.  Edited  by  Louey  Chisholm,  Told  to  Children  Series, 

Dutton,  .50. 
Motley.   Siege  of  Leyden,  edited  by  Griffis  (p.  214).    Home 

and  School  Classics,  Heath,  .20. 
Mulholland.  Our  Sister  Maisie  (p.  193).   Blackie,  $1.63. 
MuUer.  Rulers  of  the  Surf  (p.  194).  Appleton,  31.50. 
Mulock.  See  Craik. 

Munroe.   At  War  with  Pontiac  (p.  195).   Scribner,  $1.25. 
Munroe.  Cab  and  Caboose  (p.  195).   Putnam,  ^1.25. 
Munroe.  Derrick  Sterling  (p.  195).   Harper,  .60. 
Munroe.   Flamingo  Feather  (p.  187).   Harper,  .60. 
Munroe.   Ready  Rangers  (p.  195).   Lothrop,  $1.25. 
Munroe.  White  Conquerors  (p.  195).   Scribner,  ^1.25. 
Murai.   Kibun  Daizin  (p.  188).   Century,  $1.25. 
Murfrce.   See  Craddock. 
My  Big  Book  of  Soldiers  (p.  53).  Dutton,  $1.25. 

Nash.  Polly's  Secret  (p.  189).   Little,  ^1.50. 

Newcomer  and    Andrews.      Twelve   Centuries   of  English 

Poetry  and  Prose  (p.  165).   Scott,  ^2.50. 
Newell.  Topsys  and  Turvys  (p.  57).   Century,  }5i.oo. 
Nicolay.  Boys'  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln  (p.  217).  Century, 

$1.50.      ._ 


Appendix  327 

Nixon.    Fairy  Tales  a  Child  Can  Read  and  Act  (p.  240). 

Doubleday,  .75. 
Norton.  Jack  Benson's  Log  (p.  188).  Wilde,  $1.25. 

Otis.  Larry  Hudson's  Ambition  (p.  194).  Page,  .50. 

Otis.  Left  Behind  (p.  194).   Harper,  .60. 

Otis.  Life  Savers  (p.  194).  Dutton,  $1.50. 

Otis.  Lobster  Catchers  (p.  194).   Dutton,  $1.50. 

Otis.  Mr.  Stubbs's  Brother  (p.  194).   Harper,  .60. 

Otis.  Toby  Tyler  (p.  194).  Harper,  .60. 

Packard.  Young  Ice- Whalers  (p.  191).   Houghton,  $1.20. 

Page.  Two  Little  Confederates  (p.  190).  Scribner,  $1.50. 

Paine,  A.  B.  Arkansaw  Bear  (p.  195).   Altemus,  $1.00. 

Paine,  R.  D.   Campus  Days  (p.  187).   Scribner,  $1.50. 

Paine,  R.  D.  Dragon  and  the  Cross  (p.  187).  Scribner,  $1.25. 

Palgrave.  Golden  Treasury  (p.  136).  Macmillan,  $1.00. 

Paret.  Harper's  Handy  Book  for  Girls  (p.  235).  Harper, 
$1.75. 

Parker.   Book  of  Baby  Birds  (p.  52).   Stokes,  $1.50  o.  p. 

Parkman.  Oregon  Trail  (p.  218).  Illustrated  by  Frederic 
Remington,  Little,  $2.00;  with  four  pictures  by  Rem- 
ington, Little,  $1.00. 

Parry.  Don  Quixote,  Retold  (p.  127).  Illustrated  by  Walter 
Crane,  Lane,  $1.50. 

Parton.  Captains  of  Industry  (p.  219).  2  volumes,  Hough- 
ton, $1.25  each. 

Peabody.  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories  (p.  90).  Riverside  Liter- 
ature Series,  Houghton,  .25. 

Peary.   Snow  Baby  (p.  67).   Stokes,  $1.25. 

Pendleton.  In  Assyrian  Tents  (p.  271).  Jewish  Publication 
Society,  .50. 

Pendleton.  In  the  Camp  of  the  Creeks  (p.  188).  Penn,  $1.25. 

Pendleton.  King  Tom  and  the  Runaways  (p.  188).  Appleton, 
$1.50. 

Perkins.  Dutch  Twins  (p.  67).  Illustrated  by  Lucy  Fitch 
Perkins,  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Perkins.  Robin  Hood  (p.  120).  Illustrated  by  Lucy  Fitch 
Perkins,  Stokes,  $1.00. 

Perrault.  Fairy  Tales  (p.  65).  Illustrated  in  color  by  H.  C. 
Appleton,  Estes,  $1.50. 

Perrault.  Tales  of  Mother  Goose  (p.  65).  Translated  by 
Charles  Welsh,  Home  and  School  Classics,  Heath,  .20. 

Perry.   Uncle  Peter's  Trust  (p.  190).   Harper,  .60. 

Pier.   Harding  of  St.  Timothy's  (p.  188).   Houghton,  $1.50. 


328  Appendix 

Pittenger.  Great  Locomotive  Chase  (p.  217).  Penn,  ^1.25. 
Piatt.  Stories  from  the  Old  Testament  (p.  269).  Illustrated, 

Dodge,  $1.50. 
Plummer.  Roy  and  Ray  in  Mexico  (p,  215).  Holt,  ^1.75. 
Plutarch.   Life  of  Alexander  the  Great  (p.  210).   Riverside 

Literature  Series,  Houghton,  paper,  .15. 
Plutarch.  Lives  (pp.  4,  210).    5  volumes.  Little,  $12.50;  i 

volume.  Little,  $2.00. 
Poe.   Tales  of  Mystery  and  Imagination  (p.  163).   Every- 
man's Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Poe.  The  Gold-Bug,  The  Raven,  and  Other  Poems  and  Tales 

(p.  163).   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Porter.    Scottish   Chiefs   (p.    163).    Illustrated   by  T.   H. 

Robinson,  Dutton,  $2.50. 
Same.  Crowell,  .75. 
Potter.  Benjamin  Bunny  (p.  65).  Wame,  .50. 
Potter.  Mrs.  Tiggy-Winkle  (p.  65).  Warne,  .50. 
Potter.  Peter  Rabbit  (p.  65).  Wame,  .50. 
Potter.  Tailor  of  Gloucester  (p.  65).   Warne,  .50. 
Poulsson.  Runaway  Donkey  (p.  66).  Lothrop,  $1.25. 
Poulsson.   Through  the  Farmyard  Gate  (p.  66).    Lothrop, 

$1.25. 
Pratt,  C.  S.  Stick-and-Pea  Plays  (p.  234).  Lothrop,  .75. 
Pratt,  W.  S.   St.  Nicholas  Songs  (p.  144).   Century,  $1.25. 
Price.  Land  We  Live  In  (p.  248).  Small,  $1.50. 
Proctor.     Half-Hours  with   the   Summer  Stars   (p.   244). 

McClurg,  .75. 
Pyle,  Howard.    Jack  Ballister's  Fortunes  (p.  161).    Illus- 
trated by  Howard  Pyle,  Century,  $2.00. 
Pyle,  Howard.  King  Arthur  Series  (p.  125).   Illustrated  by 

Howard  Pyle,  4  volumes,  Scribner,  $2.50  each. 
Pyle,  Howard.  Men  of  Iron  (p.  157).  Illustrated  by  Howard 

Pyle,  Harper,  ^2.00. 
Pyle,  Howard.  Merry  Adventures  of  Robin  Hood  (p.  120). 

Illustrated  by  Howard  Pyle,  Scribner,  ^3.00. 
Pyle,  Howard.  Otto  of  the  Silver  Hand  (p.  157).  Illustrated 

by  Howard  Pyle,  Scribner,  $2.00. 
Pyle,  Katharine.   Careless  Jane  (p.  56).   Dutton,  .75. 
Pyrnelle.  Diddie,  Dumps  and  Tot  (p.  186).  Harper,  .60. 

Quiller-Couch.  Historical  Tales  from  Shakespeare  (p.  166). 

Scribner,  $1.50. 
Quiller-Couch.     Oxford   Book  of  English  Verse   (p.    136). 

Oxford,  $1.90;  India  paper  edition,  Oxford,  $2.60. 


Appendix  329 

Quirk.  Baby  Elton,  Quarterback  (p.  191).  Century,  ^1.25. 

Ralston.    When  Mother  Lets  Us  Sew  (p.  235).  Moffat,  .75. 
Ramaswami  Raju.  Indian  Fables  (p.  88).  Dutton,  ^l.JO. 
Ramee.   Dog  of  Flanders,  and  Other  Stories  (p.  155).   Illus- 
trated by  M.  L.  Kirk,  Lippincott,  ^1.50;  each  story 

published  separately,  Lippincott,  .50  each. 
Rankin.  Adopting  of  Rosa  Marie  (p.  192).  Holt,  jSl.SO. 
Rankin.   Dandelion  Cottage  (p.  192).  Holt,  ^1.50. 
Raspe.  Tales  from  the  Travels  of  Baron  Munchausen  (p.  89). 

Home  and  School  Classics,  Heath,  .20. 
Ray.  Teddy  and  Phebe  Books  (p.  197).   4  volumes.  Little, 

^1.50  each. 
Reade.    Cloister  and  the  Hearth   (p.    159).    Everyman's 

Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Reid.  Land  of  Fire  (p.  188).  Warne,  ^1.50  o.  p. 
Renninger.   Story  of  Rustem  (p.  123).   Scribner,  ^1.50. 
Repplier.  Book  of  Famous  Verse  (p.  135).  Riverside  Library 

for  Young  People,  Houghton,  .75;    Holiday  Edition, 

Houghton,  $1.25. 
Repplier.   Books  and  Men  (p.  165).  Houghton,  $1.25. 
Repplier.   Essays  in  Idleness  (p.  165).   Houghton,  $1.25. 
Repplier.  Varia  (p.  165).   Houghton,  $1.25. 
Rhoden.  Obstinate  Maid  (p.  191).  Jacobs,  ^1.25. 
Rhoden.  Young  Violinist  (p.  191).   Saalfield,  $1.00. 
Rhys.     Fairy-Gold   (p.   88).    Dutton,  ^2.50;  Everyman's 

Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Rice.  Mrs  Wiggs  of  the  Cabbage  Patch  (p.  195).  Century, 

$1.00. 
Richards.  Captain  January  (p.  186).  Estes,  .50. 
Richards.    Hildegarde  Series  (p.   196).  5  volumes,  Estes, 

$1.25  each. 
Richards.   Margaret  Montfort  Series  (p.  197).   5  volumes, 

Estes,  $1.25  each. 
Richards.   Sundown  Songs  (p.  139).  Little,  .50  o.  p. 
Riley.  Book  of  Joyous  Children  (p.  138).    Scribner,  $1.20. 
Riley.   Rhymes  of  Childhood  (p.  138).   Bobbs,  $1.25. 
Roberts,  C.  G.  D.    Kindred  of  the  Wild  (p.  251).  Page, 

$2.00. 
Roberts,  G.  E.  T.   Red  Feathers  (p.  96).   Page,  $1.50. 
Roe.  Driven  Back  to  Eden  (p.  192).  Dodd,  $1.25. 
Rolfe.   Shakespeare,  the  Boy  (p.  222).   Harper,  ^1.25. 
Roosevelt.    Ranch  Life  and  the  Hunting-Trail    (p.   218). 

Illustrated  by  Frederic  Remington,  Century,  $2.50. 


330  Appendix 

Rorer.  Home  Candy-Making  (p,  235).  Jacobs,  .CO. 
Rossetti,  Christina.  Sing-Song  (p.  138).  Macmillan,  .80. 
Rossetti,  D.  G.   Blessed  Damozel  (p.  143).   Ariel  Booklets, 

Putnam,  leather,  .75. 
Royde-Smith.    Una  and  the  Red   Cross  Knight  (p.  124). 

Illustrated  by  F.  H.  Robinson,  Dutton,  ^2.50. 
Rash.  Reading-List  for  the  Boy  Scouts  of  America  (p.  238). 

Wilson,  paper,  .04. 
Ruskin.  King  of  the  Golden  River  (p.  84).  McLoughlin,  .30. 
Ruskin.    Sesame  and  Lilies  (p.  165).    Riverside  Literature 

Series,  Houghton,  .25. 
Same.  New  Universal  Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .75. 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi.  Little  Flowers  (p.  270).  Temple  Class- 
ics, Dutton,  leather,  .65. 

St.  Nicholas  Book  of  Plays  and  Operettas  (p.  241).  Century, 
jSi.oo. 

St.  Nicholas  Christmas  Book  (p.  136).  Century,  {(1.50. 

Saintine.  Picciola  (p.  162).  R.iverside  Classics,  Houghton, 
$1.00. 

Samuel.  Story  of  Gold  and  Silver  (p.  243).   Penn,  .75. 

Sand.  Little  Fadette  (p.  164).  Crowell,  feather,  ^i.oo. 

Schiller.  Selected  Poems  (p.  142).  Translated  by  Bulwer- 
Lytton,  Modem  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 

Schmidt.  Gudrun  (p.  121).  Life  Stories  for  Young  People 
Series,  McClurg,  .50. 

Schmidt.  Frithiof  Saga  (p.  123).  Life  Stories  for  Young 
People  Series,  McClurg,  .50. 

Schmidt.  Youth  of  the  Great  Elector  (p.  214).  Life  Stories 
for  Young  People  Series,  McClurg,  .50. 

Schultz.  With  the  Indians  in  the  Rockies  (p.  191).  Hough- 
ton, $1.25. 

Schupp.  William  of  Orange  (p.  214).  Life  Stories  for  Young 
People  Series,  McClurg,  .50. 

Schwatka.  Children  of  the  Cold  (p.  219).  Educational  Pub- 
lishing Company,  ^1.25. 

Scott.  Novels  (p.  161).  Illustrated  Library  Edition,  Hough- 
ton, $1.00  each. 

Scott.    Poems  (p.  141).    Cabinet  Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 

Scott.  Tales  of  a  Grandfather  (p.  212).  3  volumes,  Hough- 
ton, $4.50. 

Scudder,  H.  E.  Book  of  Fables  (pp.  58, 6i,  86).  Houghton,  .50. 

Scudder,  H.  E.  Book  of  Fables  and  Folk  Stories  (pp.  63,  64). 
New  School  Edition,  Houghton,  .45. 


Appendix  331 

Scudder,  H.  E.  Book  of  Folk  Stories  (p.  64).   Houghton, 

.60. 
Scudder,  H.  E.   Book  of  Legends  (p.  64).  Houghton,  .50. 
Scudder,  H.  E.  Children's  Book  (p.  93).  Houghton,  $2.50, 
Scudder,  H.  E.    George  Washington  (p.  217).    Riverside 

Library  for  Young  People,  Houghton,  .75. 
Scudder,  S.  H.  Frail  Children  of  the  Air  (p.  246).  Riverside 

Library  for  Young  People,  Houghton,  .75. 
Seelye.   Story  of  Columbus  (p.  218).  Appleton,  $1.75. 
Sellar.    Story  of  Lord  Nelson  (p.  212).    Children's  Heroes 

Series,  Dutton,  .50. 
Seton,  Thompson.    See  Thompson-Seton. 
Sewell.  Black  Beauty  (p.  251).  Illustrated  in  color  by  J.  M. 

Burke,  Piatt,  ^1.25. 
Shakespeare.  Plays  (p.  166).  Cambridge  Edition,  Houghton, 

$3.00. 
Same.    3  volumes,  Everyman's  Library,  Dutton,  leather, 

.70  each. 
Same.  40  volumes,  Temple  Shakespeare,  Dutton,  leather, 

.55  each. 
Same,  edited  by  Ben  Greet  (p.  240).    4  volumes.  Double- 
day,  .60  each. 
Shaler.   First  Book  in  Geology  (p.  248).  Heath,  .45. 
Sharp.   Watcher  in  the  Woods  (p.  250).   Century,  .84. 
Shaw.    Castle  Blair  (p.  154).    Home  and  School  Classics, 

Heath,  .50. 
Shelley.  Ode  to  the  West  Wind,  and  Selected  Poems  (p.  141). 

Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 
Shepard.   Our  Young  Folks'  Josephus  (p.  269).    Lippincott, 

$1.25. 
Sheridan.    Plays   (p.   166).    Everyman's  Library,  Dutton, 

leather,  .70. 
Sheridan.     Rivals    (p.    166).     Riverside   Literature   Series, 

Houghton,  .25. 
Sheridan.     School   for   Scandal   (p.    166).    Ariel   Booklets, 

Putnam,  leather,  .75. 
Sherman.   Little-Folk  Lyrics  (p.  137).   Houghton,  $1.50. 
Sherwood.   Fairchild  Family  (p.  155).   Stokes,  ^1.50. 
Shute.    Land  of  Song  (p.  66).    3  volumes,  Silver,  Primary 

book,  .36;  Second  book,  .48;  Third  book,  .54. 
Sidgwick.   Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Germany  (p.  214).   Mac- 

millan,  .55. 
Sidney.    Five  Little  Peppers  Series  (p.   196).    6  volumes, 

Lothrop,  $1.50  each. 
Siepen.  Peeps  at  Great  Cities,  Berlin  (p.  214).  Macmillan,  .55. 


332  Appendix 

Singmaster.  When  Sarah  Saved  the  Day  (p.  191).  Houghton, 

^i.oo. 
Singmaster.  When  Sarah  Went  to  School  (p.  191).  Hough- 
ton,^!.00. 
Siviter.  Nehe  (p.  271).  Wilde,  $1.50. 
Sloane.  Electric  Toy-Making  (p.  236).  Henley,  $1.00. 
Smith,  C.  C.  Bob  Knight's  Diary  at  Poplar  Hill  School  (p. 

187).  Dutton,$i.so. 
Smith,  E.  B.  Chicken  World  (p.  56).  Putnam,  $2.00. 
Smith,  E.  B.  Farm-Book  (p.  53).  Houghton,  $1.50. 
Smith,  Herbert  Huntington.     See  Huntington. 
Smith,  M.  E.  E.   Eskimo  Stories  (p.  6y).   Rand,  .75. 
Song  of  Roland  (p.  126).    Translated  by  Butler,  Riverside 

Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Sousa.  National,  Patriotic,  and  Typical  Airs  of  All  Lands 

(p.  144).  Ditson,$i.so. 
Speight  and  Thomson.   First  Book  (p.  63).   Norland  Press, 

.25  o.  p. 
Spenser.    Faerie  Queene  (p.  124).    2  volumes,  Everyman's 

Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Spyri.  Heidi  (p,  156).  Translated  by  Louise  Brooks,  Piatt, 

$1.00. 
Same.    Translated  by  Marian  Edwardes,  illustrated  in 

color  by  Lawson,  Dutton,  ^2.50. 
Same.  Translated  by  H.  B.  Dole,  Ginn,  .40. 
Spyri.   Moni  the  Goat  Bov  (p.  156).   Ginn,  .40. 
Starr.  American  Indians  (p.  209).  Heath,  .45. 
Surr.  Strange  Peoples  (p.  221).  Heath,  .40. 
Stein.  Gabriel  and  the  Hour-Book  (p.  187).  Page,  jSi.oo. 
Sternberg.  Life  of  a  Fossil  Hunter  (p.  2a8).  Holt,  $1.60. 
Stevens  and  Allen.  King  Arthur  Stories  (p.  125).  Illustrated 

with  five  reproductions  of  Abbey's  paintings,  Riverside 

Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 
Stevenson,  Augusta.   Children's  Classics  in  Dramatic  Form 

(p.  240).   4  volumes,  Houghton,  volume  I,  .30;  volume 

2,  -35;  volume  3,  .40;  volume  4,  .50. 
Stevenson,  B.  E.    Tommy  Remington's  Battle  (p.   190). 

Century,  $1.00. 
Stevenson,  B.  E.  Young  Section  Hand  (p.  194).  Page,  ^1.50. 
Stevenson,  B.  E.  Young  Train  Despatcher  (p.  194).   Page, 

^1.50. 
Stevenson,  R.  L.  Child's  Garden  of  Verses  (pp.  58,  66,  136). 

Illustrated  by  Mars,  and  Squire,  Rand,  .75. 
Same.  Illustrated  by  Jessie  Willcox  Smith,  Scribncr,  }?2.50. 
Same.  Illustrated  by  Florence  Storer,  Scribner,  $1.50. 


Appendix  233 

Stevenson,  R.  L.   Stevenson  Song-Book  (p.  145).   Scribner, 

$1.00. 
Stevenson,  R.  L.   Treasure  Island  (p.  164).    Illustrated  by 

Walter  Paget,  Scribner,  $1.25. 
Stockton.   Bee-Min  of  Orn  (p.  94).   Scribner,  $1.25. 
Stockton.   Captain  Chap  (p.  195).   Lippincott,  $1.00. 
Stockton.   Floating  Prince  (p.  94).   Scribner,  $1.50. 
Stoddard.   Dab  Kinzer  (p.  195).   Scribner,  $1.00. 
Stoddard.   Little  Smoke  (p.  195).   Appleton,  $1.50. 
Stoddard.  Two  Arrows  (p.  195).   Harper,  .60. 
Stoddard.  White  Cave  (p.  195).   Century,  $1.50. 
Stoddard.   Winter  Fun  (p.  195).   Scribner,  $1.00. 
Storr.   Half-a-Hundred  Hero  Tales  (p.  89).   Holt,  $1.35. 
Swift.    Gulliver's  Travels  (p.  95).    Cranford  Edition,  Mac- 

millan,  $1.50. 
Same.   Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 

Tabb.   Child  Verse  (p.  137).   Small,  ^i.oo. 
Tappan.  American  Hero  Stories  (p.  216).   Houghton,  $1.50. 
Tappan.   European  Hero  Stories  (p.  219).   Houghton,  .65. 
Tappan.  In  the  Days  of  Alfred  the  Great  (p.  211).  Lothrop, 

^i.oo. 
Tappan.   In  the  Days  of  Queen  Elizabeth  (p.  211).  Lothrop, 

$1.00. 
Tappan.   In  the  Days  of  Queen  Victoria  (p.  211).   Lothrop, 

$1.00. 
Tappan.    In  the  Days  of  William  the  Conqueror  (p.  211). 

Lothrop,  $1.00. 
Tappan.  Old  Ballads  in  Prose  (p.  121).   Houghton,  ^i.io. 
Tappan.  Old,  Old  Story-Book  (p.  268).  Houghton,  $1.50. 
Tappan.    Story  of  the  Greek  People  (p.  210).    Houghton, 

$1.50;  School  Edition,  Houghton,  .65. 
Tappan.    Story  of  the  Roman  People  (p.  210).    Houghton, 

$1.50;  School  Edition,  Houghton,  .65. 
Tautphoeus.   Initials  (p.  164).   2  volumes,  Putnam,  $2.50. 
Taylor,  Ann  and  Jane.  Little  Ann  and  Other  Poems  (p.  137). 

Illustrated  by  Kate  Greenaway,  Warne,  $1.00. 
Taylor,  Ann  and  Jane.    Original  Poems  (p.  137).    Stokes, 

^i.SO. 
Tegner.    Frithiof's  Saga  (p.  122).   Translated  by  Holcomb, 

Scott,  $1.25. 
Tennyson.    Idylls  of  the  King  (p.  125).    Golden  Treasury 

Series,  Macmillan,  $1.00. 
Tennyson.   Poems  (p.  142).   Cambridge  Edition,  Houghton, 

^2.00;  Cabinet  Edition,  Houghton,  $1.00. 


334  Appendix 

Thackeray.  Henry  Esmond  (p.  i6o).  Illustrated  by  Hugh 
Thomson,  Cranford  Edition,  Macmillan,  $2.00. 

Thackeray.  Novels  (p.  160).  Illustrated  Library  Edition, 
Houghton,  $1.50  each. 

Thaxter.  Stories  and  Poems  for  Children  (p.  139).  Hough- 
ton, $1.50. 

Thomas.  Captain  Phil  (p.  187).   Holt,  $1.50. 

Thompson,  A.  R.  Gold-Seeking  on  the  Dalton  Trail  (p.  192). 
Little,  $1.50. 

Thompson,  C.  M.   Calico  Cat  (p.  196).  Houghton,  $1.25. 

Thompson,  D.  P.  Green  Mountain  Boys  (p.  188).  Grosset, 
.50. 

Thompson,  J.  M.  Water  Wonders  Every  Child  Should  Know 
(p.  249).  Doubleday,  $1.10. 

Thompson-Seton.  Biography  of  a  Grizzly  (p.  251).  Century, 
$1.50. 

Thompson-Seton.  Krag  and  Johnny  Bear  (p.  251).  Scribner, 
.50. 

Thompson-Seton.  Lives  of  the  Hunted  (p.  251).  Scribner. 
^2.00. 

Thompson-Seton.  Lobo,  Rag  and  Vixen  (p.  251).  Scribner,. 50. 

Thompson-Seton.  Rolf  in  the  Woods  (p.  189).  Doubleday, 
$1.50. 

Thompson-Seton.  Wild  Animals  I  Have  Known  (p.  251). 
Scribner,  $2.00. 

Thomson.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Denmark  (p.  216).  Mac- 
millan, .55. 

Thoreau.   Walden  (p.  250).   Houghton,  $1.50. 

Tolstoy.     Where  Love  is,  There  God  is  also.     Crowell,  .75. 

Tomlins.     Christmas  Carols.    American  Book  Company,  .10. 

Tomlinson.  St.  Lawrence  Series  (p.  197).  3  volumes,  Lo- 
throp,  j{i.5oeach. 

Tomlinson.  War  of  18 1 2  Series  (p.  197).  6  volumes,  Lothrop, 
$1.25  each. 

Tomlinson.  Young  Americans  in  the  British  Isles  (p.  212). 
Houghton,  $1.25. 

TroUope.  Chronicles  of  Barsetshire  (p.  159).  6  volumes, 
Macmillan,  $1 .50  each. 

Trowbridge.   Cudjo's  Cave  (p.  190).   Lothrop,  $1.50. 

Trowbridge.   His  One  Fault  (p.  190).   Lothrop,  $1.25. 

Trowbridge.   Prize  Cup  (p.  190).   Century,  $1.50. 

Trowbridge.   Scarlet  Tanager  (p.  190).   Lothrop,  $1.00. 

Trowbridge.  Tinkham  Brothers'  Tide-Mill  (p.  190).  Lo- 
throp, $1.25. 


Appendix  335 

True.  Revolutionary  Series  (p.  197).  3  volumes,  Little,  $1.50 

each. 
Twain.   Prince  and  the  Pauper  (p.  158).   Harper,  $1.75. 
Tynan.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Ireland  (p.  211).  Macmillan, 

•S5- 

Vaile.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  New  Zealand  (p.  212).  Mac- 
millan, .55. 

Valentine.  Aunt  Louisa's  Book  of  Common  Things  (p.  67). 
Warne,  .50. 

Van  Bergen.  Story  of  China  (p.  212).  American  Book  Com- 
pany, .60. 

Van  Bergen.  Story  of  Japan  (p.  213).  American  Book  Com- 
pany, .65. 

Van  Bergen.  Story  of  Russia  (p.  216).  American  Book 
Company,  .65. 

Van  Dyke.  First  Christmas  Tree  (p.  271).  Illustrated  by 
Howard  Pyle,  Scribner,  ^1.50. 

Van  Dyke.   Lost  Word  (p.  271).   Scribner,  $1.50. 

Van  Sickle  and  Seegmiller.  Riverside  Primer,  and  Readers 
I,  2,  and  3  (p.  63).  4  volumes,  Houghton,  Primer,  .30; 
First  Reader,  .35;  Second  Reader,  .40;  Third  Reader, 
.50. 

Vawter.   Rabbit's  Ransom  (p.  186).   Bobbs,  $1.25. 

Verne.  Around  the  World  in  EightyDays  (p.  157).  Scribner, 
$2.00. 

Verne.   Mysterious  Island  (p.  157).   Scribner,  $2.50. 

Verne.  Twenty  Thousand  Leagues  Under  the  Sea  (p.  157). 
Scribner,  $2.00. 

Virgil.  .(Eneid  (p.  126).  Translated  into  verse  by  Conington, 
Longmans,  $1.25. 
Same.  Translated  into  blank  verse  by  Cranch,  Houghton, 
Popular  Edition,  $1.50;  Students'  Edition,  Houghton, 
$1.00. 

^^on  Wyss.  World  in  Pictures  (p.  53).   Macmillan,  .75. 

Von  Scheffel.  Ekkehard  (p.  160).  Everyman's  Library, 
Dutton,  leather,  .70. 

Wade.  Our  Little  German  Cousin  (p.  214).   Page,  .60. 
Wade.  Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin  (p.  116).   Page,  .60. 
Wade.  Our  Little  Russian  Cousin  (p.  216).   Page,  .60. 
Waggaman.   Nan  Nobody  (p.  193).   Benziger,  .45. 
Walker.   Lady  Hollyhock  (p.  234).   Doubleday,  $1.25. 
Walker.  Tales  Come  True  (p.  234).   Doubleday,  ^1.25. 


33^ 


Appendix 


Wallace,  Henry.   Letters  to  the  Farm  Boy  (p.  242).   Mac- 
millan,  $i.cx>;  Standard  School  Library,  MacmiUan,  .50. 
Wallace,  Lewis.   Ben-Hur  (p.  270).   Harper,  $1.50. 
Waller.  Daughter  of  the  Rich  (p.  192).   Little,  ^1.50. 
Walter.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands,  Russia  (p.  216).  Macmillan, 

■5S- 
Walton.    Compleat  Angler  (p.  250).    Everyman's  Library, 

Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
Warner.    Being  a  Boy  (p.  154).    Illustrated  by  "Champ," 

Houghton,  $1.25;  Riverside  Literature  Series,  Hough- 
ton, .40. 
Warner.    In  the  Wilderness  (p.  250).    Riverside  Literature 

Series,  Houghton,  .30. 
Watts.    Divine  and  Moral  Songs  (p.  270).    Illustrated  in 

color  by  Mrs.  Arthur  Gaskin,  Page,  ^i.oo. 
Weatherly.   Book  of  Gnomes  (p.  54).   Dutton,  $1.50. 
Wells.   Rainy  Day  Diversions  (p.  234).   Moffat,  $1.00. 
Wells.   Story  of  Betty  (p.  194).   Century,  $1.50. 
Wheeler.    VVoodworking  for  Beginners  (p.  237).    Putnam, 

$2.50. 
Whitcomb.  Young  People's  Story  of  Art  (p.  222).   Dodd, 

$2.00. 
White,  E.  O.   Borrowed  Sister  (p.  185).  Houghton,  $r.0O. 
White,  E.  O.   Edna  and  her  Brothers  (p.  185).   Houghton, 

$1.00. 
White,  E.O.  Enchanted  Mountain  (p.  9^).  Houghton,  $1.00. 
White,  E.  O.   Little  Girl  of  Long  Ago  (p.  185).   Houghton, 

$1.00. 
White,  E.  O.  When  Molly  was  Six  (p.  185).  Houghton,  $1.00. 
White,  Gilbert.  Natural  History  and  Antiquities  of  Selborne 

(p.  250).    Everyman's  Library,  Dutton,  leather,  .70. 
White,  Mary.    Book  of  Games  (p.  240).    Scribner,  $i.30. 
White,  Mary.  How  to  do  Beadwork  (p.  235).  Doubleday,  .90. 
White,  Mary.   How  to  Make  Baskets  (p.  236).   Doubleday, 

^i.oo. 
White,  Mary.  More  Baskets  and  How  to  Make  Them  (p.  236). 

Doubleday,  $1.00. 
White,  Mary  and  Sara.  Book  of  Children's  Parties  (p.  239). 

Century,  }5i.oo. 
Whitney.  FaithGartney'sGirlhood(p.  155).  Houghton,$l.25. 
Whitney.  Other  Girls  (p.  155).   Houghton,  $1.25. 
Whitney.   Real  Folks  (p.  155).   Houghton,  $1.25. 
Whitney.     Summer  in  Leslie  Goldthwaite's  Life  (p.  155). 

Hough  ton.  ii.zi. 


Appendix  337 

Whitney.  We  Girls  (p.  155).   Houghton,  $1.25. 

Whittier.   Child  Life  in  Prose  (p.  154).   Houghton,  }5i.50. 

Whittier.  Snow-Bound,  and  Selected  Poems  (p.  142).  Mod- 
ern Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 

Wiggin.   Birds'  Christmas  Carol  (p.  195).   Houghton,  .50. 

Wiggin.  Kindergarten  Chimes  (p.  143).   Ditson,  $1.25. 

Wiggin.  New  Chronicles  of  Rebecca  (p.  189).  Houghton, 
$1.25. 

Wiggin.   Polly  Oliver's  Problem  (p.  190).   Houghton,  $1.00. 

Wiggin.  Rebecca  of  Sunnybrook  Farm  (p.  189).  Houghton, 
$1.25;  Holiday  Edition,  Houghton,  ^1.50. 

Wiggin.    Story  of  Patsy  (p.  195).   Houghton,  .60. 

Wiggin.   Summer  in  a  Cation  (p.  190).   Houghton,  $1.25. 

Wiggin  and  Smith.  Golden  Numbers  (p.  135).  Doubleday, 
^2.00. 

Wiggin  and  Smith.  Pinafore  Palace  (p.  66).  Doubleday,  ^1.50, 

Wiggin  and  Smith.   Posy  Ring  (p.  135).   Doubleday,  ^1.25. 

Wiggin  and  Smith.  Tales  of  Laughter  (p.  93).  Doubleday, 
$1.50. 

Wiggin  and  Smith.  Tales  of  Wonder  (p.  93).  Doubleday, 
^1.50. 

Wilkins.   Once  Upon  a  Time  (p.  137).   Lothrop,  $1.00. 

Wilkins.  Young  Lucretia  (p.  191).   Harper,  $1.25. 

Williams.   How  it  is  Done  (p.  242).   Nelson,  $1.20. 

Williams.   How  it  is  Made  (p.  242).   Nelson,  $1.20. 

Williston.   Japanese  Fairy  Tales  (p.  91).   Rand,  .75. 

Wilmot-Buxton.  Stories  from  Old  French  Romance  (p.  128). 
Stokes,  .75. 

Wilmot-Buxton.  Stories  of  the  Persian  Heroes  (p.  123). 
Crowell,  $1.50. 

Wilson.    Story  of  the  Cid  (p.  123).   Lothrop,  $1.25. 

Witham.  Representative  English  and  Scottish  Popular  Bal- 
lads (p.  1 19).  Riverside  Literature  Series,  Houghton,  .40. 

Wood.   Popular  Natural  History  (p.  250).  Winston,  $1.00. 

Wordsworth.  Intimations  of  Immortality,  and  Selected 
Poems  (p.  140).    Modern  Classics,  Houghton,  .40. 

Wyss.  Swiss  Family  Robinson  (p.  158).  Illustrated  by  Folk- 
ard,  Dutton,  $2.50;  Everyman's  Library,  Dutton, 
leather,  .70. 

Yale.  When  Mother  Lets  Us  Give  a  Party  (p.  239).  Moffat, 

•75- 
Yonge.  Bookof  GoldenDeeds  (p.  219).  Everyman's  Library 
Dutton,  leather,  .70. 


33^ 


Appendix 


Yonge.  Chaplet  of  Pearls  (p.  i6o).  Macmillan,  $1.25. 
Yonge.  Dove  in  the  Eagle's  Nest  (p.  160).  Macmillan,  $1.25. 
Yonge.   Stray  Pearls  (p.  160).   Macmillan,  $1.25. 
Yonge.   Unknown  to  History  (p.  160).   Macmillan,  $1.25. 

Zitkala-Sa.  Old  Indian  Legends  (p.  86).  Ginn,  .50. 

Zollinger.  Boy's  Ride  (p.  186).   McClurg,  ^1.50. 

Zollinger.    Maggie  McLanehan  (p.  196).    McClurg,  ^1.25; 

New  Holiday  Edition,  illustrated    by  Florence  Scovel 

Shinn,  McClurg,  $1.50. 
Zollinger.    Widow  O'Callaghan's  Boys  (p.  196).    McClurg, 

$1.25;  New  Holiday  Edition,  illustrated  by  Florence 

Scovel  Shinn,  McClurg,  $1.50. 


Index 


INDEX 


(Page  references  to  recommended  children's  books  are  not 
included  in  this  index,  but  may  be  found  in  the  Purchase  List 
of  Children's  Books,  on  page  302^.) 


American  Library  Associa- 
tion, Book  List,  286. 

Astronomy,  educational  value, 
229  ;  book  list,  244. 

Bad  books,  11,  152,  168. 

Baldwin,  James,  Book-Lover, 
10. 

Ballads,  educational  value, 
loi;  reading  aloud,  107; 
booklist,  119. 

Bible,  reading  of,  $,  7,  34,  254, 
265;  spiritual  and  moral 
power,  253;  influence  on 
modem  juvenile  fiction, 
261;  book  list,  268. 

Biography,  treatment  in  chil- 
dren's books,  198;  book 
list,  209. 

Book  lists:  on  the  early  influ- 
ence of  good  books,  10;  on 
the  influence  of  bad  books, 
•  18;  children's  interests,  26; 
guiding  children's  reading, 
39;  picture-books,  52;  hu- 
morous stories,  56, 195;  easy 
reading,  62;  fables,  myths, 
and  fairy  tales,  86;  ballads, 
epics  and  romances,  119; 
poetry  and  rhymes,  135; 
some  classic  and  standard 
books,  154;  modern  fiction, 


185;  history,  biography, 
description,  and  travel, 
209;  art,  music,  and  liter- 
ature, 221;  useful  books 
( including  occupations, 
household  arts,  mechanics, 
outdoor  life  and  athletics, 
gardening,  games  and  other 
amusements,  dramatics  and 
story-telling,  business  boys 
and  girls,  notable  mod- 
ern achievements,  nature 
books),  234;  religious  books, 
268;  purchase  list  of  chil- 
dren's books,  302. 

Book-plates,  37. 

Book-purchase,  37,  299. 

Books  for  children:  illustra- 
tions, 40;  literary  form  in 
easy  books,  61,  in  folklore, 
81,  in  ballads  and  in  epics, 
loi,  in  general  literature, 
129,  in  modern  juvenile  fic- 
tion, 179,  in  Bible  stories, 
259;  ethical  qualities  in  folk- 
lore, 71,  in  ballads,  epics,  and 
romances,  10 1,  in  novels, 
150,  in  modern  juvenile 
fiction,  168,  262,  in  nature 
fiction,  228,  in  history  and 
biography,  198;  adaptation, 
117,  146;  expurgation,  117; 


342 


Index 


binding,   print,  and  titles, 

148,  179. 
Booksellers,  addresses  of,  301. 
Bryant,  Sara  Cone,  How  to 

Tell  Stories  to  Children,  32, 

«  35.  39- 

Bunyan,  John,  Pilgrim's  Pro- 
gress, reading  of,  34,  255; 
stories  to  tell,  268. 

Burnett,  Frances  Hodgson, 
One  I  Knew  Best  of  All,  27. 

Burns,  Robert,  early  reading 
of,  6, 130. 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  on  old 
Norse  character,  76. 

Cervantes  Saavedra,  Miguel 
de,  on  the  educational 
value  of  romance,  103. 

Chaucer,  Geoffrey,  Canter- 
bury Tales,  III;  book  list, 
124. 

Children's  interests,  19,  41, 
132,  148,  169,  179,  199,  229, 

^255- 

Commonplace  books,  38. 

Darwin,     Charles,     loss     of 
•     sesthetic  taste,  230. 
Daskam,  J.  D.,  Madness  of 

Philip,  26. 
Dickens,  Charles,  David  Cop- 

perfield,  27. 

Editions,  choice  of,  148,  3CX5. 

Eliot,  George,  Mill  on  the 
Floss,  27. 

Emerson,  R.  W.,  on  ethics  of 
Plutarch,  4. 

Epics  and  romances:  educa- 
tional value  of,  102;  Homer, 
102,  116;  Beowulf,  108; 
Siegfried,  108;  Faerie 
Queene,  110;  Canterbury 
Tales,  III;  Arthurian  and 


Carolingian  romance,  113; 
book  lists,  1 19. 

Fables,  educational  value,  72; 
book  list,  86. 

Fairy  tales.  See  Folklore. 

Fiction,  classic  and  standard, 
146;  popular,  168;  histori- 
cal, 199,  202;  travel,  204; 
nature,  228;  Sunday  School 
and  other  religious,  257; 
book  lists,  154,  185,  251, 
270.  See  also  Bad  books. 

Field,  W.  T.,  Fingerposts  to 
Children's  Reading,  18,  36, 

39-         . 

Flynt,  Josiah,  Tramping  with 
Tramps,  18. 

Folklore:  nursery  rhymes,  21, 
99;  educational  value,  68; 
fables,  72;  myths,  73; 
Greek  myths,  74;  Norse 
myths,  75;  American  In- 
dian myths,  77;  hero-myths 
and  place-legends,  77;  fairy 
lore,  78;  nursery  tales,  79; 
book  lists,  63,  86.  See  also 
Ballads,  Epics,  and  ro- 
mances. 

Forbush,  W.  B.,  on  educa- 
tional value  of  King  Arthur 
legends,  ro6;  on  religious 
instinct,  256. 

Gillmore,  Inez  H?yne», 
Phoebe  and  Ernest,  27. 

Gladstone,  W.  E.,  early 
reading  of,  7. 

Goethe,  J.  W.  von,  story- 
telling to,  30. 

Grahame,  Kenneth,  Golden 
Age,  26. 

Grimm,  J.  L.  and  W.  K., 
treatment  of  folk-talcs,  81. 


Index 


343 


Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  Scar- 
let Letter,  26. 

Hazlitt,  William,  on  reading 
old  books,  10. 

Henry  IV  of  France,  Letter  to 
Marie  de'  Medici,  4. 

Herschel,  Sir  William,  reli- 
gious spirit,  231;  imagina- 
tion, 233. 

History,  treatment  in  chil- 
dren's books,  198;  book 
list,  209. 

Home,  influence  of,  13. 

Homer,  Iliad  and  Odyssey, 
102,  116;  book  list,  126. 

Hugo,  Victor,  Les  Misera- 
bles,  26. 

Humor,  42,  44,  46,  80;  book 
lists,  56,  195. 

Hunt,  Clara  W.,  on  use  of  me- 
diocre history  books,  204. 

Huxley,  Thomas,  early  read- 
ing of,  8. 

Illustrators  and  illustrations 
of  children's  books,  40. 

Imagination,  practical  value, 
68,  232;  training,  71,  229. 

Jacobs,  Joseph,  treatment  of 
folklore,  81. 

Kepler,  John,  religious  spirit, 
231;  imagination,  232. 

Knights  of  King  Arthur,  105. 

Kov  .^levsky,  Sonia,  The  Sis- 
ters Rajevski,  27. 

Library  commissions,  educa- 
tional work,  287;  addresses, 
286. 

Library,  public,  providing 
bad  books,  15;  establishing 
the     reading     habit,     60; 


story-telling,  105,  171;  im- 
portance of  children's  de- 
partment, 171;  exhibits 
and  expert  help,  284. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  early 
reading  of,  8,  38. 

Lyman,  Edna,  Story-Telling, 
35.  39- 

Mechanics,  use  of  books  on, 
224;  book  list,  236. 

Memorizing,  poetry,  134; 
Bible,  267. 

Milton,  John,  early  reading 
of,  6,  130;  on  ethical  value 
of  romances,  104;  on  ethical 
value  of  the  Faerie  Queene, 
no. 

Moses,  Montrose  J.,  Chil- 
dren's Books  and  Reading, 
10. 

Moving-pictures,  effect  on 
children's  reading,  17. 

Mumford,  Edward  W.,  on  bad 
books,  170. 

Myths,  educational  value,  72; 
booklists, 63,  86. 

Napoleon  I,  early  reading  of, 

S- 

Nature  books,  use  of,  227; 
book  list,  243. 

Newton,  Sir  Isaac,  imagina- 
tion, 69;  boyhood  experi- 
ments, 224. 

Nickel  novels,  14,  175. 

Novels,  reading  of,  150. 

Nursery  rhymes,  21,  99. 

Picture-books,  educational 
value,  40;  book  list,  52. 

Plato,  on  child-trainin.>,  2;  on 
ethical  qualities  in  stories, 
81. 


344 


Index 


Plutarch,  influence  of,  4;  on 

child-training,  2. 
Poetry,  use  in  education,  129; 

book  lists,  66, 135. 
Prices  of  books,  302. 
Publishers   of   recommended 

books,  302. 

Reading,  educational  value 
of,  I,  58;  influence  on  emi- 
nent people,  3,  34,  104, 
130,  230,  and  chart;  guid- 
ing of  home  reading,  29, 
early  reading,  58,  through 
folklore,  68,  through  bal- 
lads, epics,  and  romances, 
106,  through  poetry,  132. 
See  also  Story-telling. 

Reading  aloud,  systematic, 
32;  Pilgrim's  Progress, 
34,  255,  268;  ballads,  107; 
poetry,  134;  Bible,  254, 
265. 

Religious  books,  discussion  of, 
252;  book  list,  268. 

Religious  instinct,  229,  255. 

Repplier,  Agnes,  Men  and 
Books,  10;  Varia,  18. 

Rhymes  and  rhythm,  21,  99, 
132. 

Rhys,  Ernest,  treatment  of 
folklore,  82. 

Roland,  Madame,  early  read- 
ing of,  5. 

Romances,  educational  value, 
102,  no;  book  list,  124. 

Ruskin,  John,  on  myth- 
making,  74. 

Scientific  books,  treatment  of 


for  children,  227;  book  list, 
134. 

Series,  184,  196,  206. 

Shakespeare,  King  John,  26. 

Shelley,  Percy  Bysshe,  on  the 
poetic  instinct,  99. 

Spenser,  Edmund,  Faerie 
Queene,  no;  book  list,  124. 

Stedman,  Edmund  Clarence, 
poetry  as  a  formative  of 
style,  131. 

Story-telling:  rhythm  in 
story-telling,  22;  as  a 
means  of  guiding  reading, 
29;  in  the  public  library, 
105,  171;  from  epic  and 
romance,  108;  from  Pil- 
grim's Progress,  268;  one 
hundred  good  stories  to 
tell,  275. 

Text-books,  home  use  of,  59. 

Travel,  treatment  in  chil- 
dren's books,  204;  book 
list,  209. 

Trollope,  Anthony,  on  novels, 
10. 

Twain,  Mark,  Tom  Sawyer, 
28. 

Tyndall,  John,  on  applied  use 
of  the  imagination,  69. 

Wagner,  Richard,  story-tell- 
ing and  reading  aloud  to, 

34- 
Wonder-tales,  84;  Look  list, 

93- 

Young  people,  reading  of,  23, 
133.  'iO.  ^79- 


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